


Deadly Intent

by Bobo_is_tha_Bomb



Category: Gundam Wing
Genre: Angst, Drama, F/M, Lime, Reader Insert, Romance, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-28
Updated: 2020-11-20
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:35:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 15
Words: 40,117
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25576657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bobo_is_tha_Bomb/pseuds/Bobo_is_tha_Bomb
Summary: Eleven years is a long time for a ghost to come back and haunt him. But Heero Yuy finds himself unable to dodge or outrun it. It’s the start of a dangerous cat and mouse game between one of the most powerful organizations in the world and a loner who has every intention of dragging him down with her. After all, she has come with deadly intent.HeeroxReader, TrowaxReader
Relationships: Heero Yuy/Reader, Trowa Barton/Reader
Comments: 9
Kudos: 9





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I told myself to wait with posting this until I had at least ten chapters finished. Not there yet, but I hope this will give me a kick in the butt to write the rest of the chapters!
> 
> A part of this story has been up on Lunaescence and Ghosts of the Vanguard before in a different format. But I quickly realized I couldn’t cram all I wanted to write into the short parts I normally go for with my Summer Projects. So I took it off and rewrote it into this. 
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> Disclaimer: I don’t own Gundam Wing, its characters, or you.

**Deadly Intent  
Chapter 1**

The security was no joke. Agents were stationed at every corner, at every door; cameras were positioned at regular intervals to monitor the party. The basement was stuffed full with monitors and computers to keep an eye on the situation. There were vehicles parked next to every exit, a team of Preventer Agents at the ready. It made the building an impenetrable fortress.

Or so it seemed. 

If the agents had paid any close attention, they would have noticed that the event had already been compromised. Way before they had even started readying the building. It had not been easy to hack into the databases. Of course it hadn’t been. The database had been protected by a nifty software package, designed by one of Preventer’s top agents. But then again, the person hacking into it was no ordinary hacker. They knew how to dodge the secured warning systems. 

All the information on the ESUN’s Christmas event security had been read, carefully cataloged and filed away without leaving a trace. Blueprints of the building, the Agents listed for duty, the guest list, the list of caterers, florists, and other suppliers. Nothing was left untouched. 

Preventer never had an inkling of what was happening right under their nose. 

But if they had been more on guard, they would have noticed that a guest had been added to the list. Months in advance, added along with several other relatively unknown names, none of which were suspicious, so that the appearance of the name was nothing to be aware of. There had been background info to go with it, so nothing had seemed out of the ordinary. 

And so a woman in a stunning evening gown slipped inside, mingling with the guests. The dress was meant to distract, so none would wonder about her face, about the dead eyes that gazed back at them with a cold glint. The party was already in full swing, champagne flowing as politicians and socialites exchanged the latest gossip, strengthened their alliances, and complimented the caterer. Nobody noticed how the woman slipped into the powder room after supper, locked herself up in one of the stalls, and quickly shed herself of her cover. Nobody noticed how she hoisted herself up into the ventilation shaft, now dressed in black from head to toe, her hair pulled back in a tight bun to keep it out of the way. 

Nobody noticed how she silently inched her way through the shaft, how she made her way to the balcony above the ballroom’s dancefloor, where a case lay waiting. She knew she had to be very, very silent when exiting the ventilation shaft, as two agents were stationed next to the door leading to the balcony. If they heard as much as the faintest sound, they would alarm their colleagues.

The vent opened easily, prepared days ahead of the operation. The balcony was dark and deserted as the woman silently slipped out, opened the case and assembled her weapon with practiced ease. After putting the sound repressor in place, she carefully positioned the barrel through the bars, unnoticeable by anyone below on the dancefloor. She lowered her body down to the floor, using the riflescope to find her target. 

And when she spotted them, nothing in the stillness of her body gave away the hatred that festered around her heart. She was, after all, trained for this. She could kill without blinking an eye, without feeling remorse or guilt. None would notice, was supposed to notice, how the sight of her target made her gut churn.

But not for long anymore. 

With a forming smirk, you clicked off the safety and prepared to pull the trigger.

-x-x-x-

“All clear.”

At the routine check-up by his partner, Heero Yuy allowed himself to relax, if only the slightest bit. One on duty could never let their guard down. His charge was chatting with one of her best friends, a socialite he preferred to steer clear off. He still did not understand why Relena and Dorothy Catalonia got on so well. He didn’t trust the latter woman one bit.

It probably had to do something with the fact that she had stabbed one of his best friends with a foil at one point in her life. The bitch still was a snake. One who loved to leer at him at every occasion, as if he was one of the men she loved toying with. The thought alone was enough to send a shiver of disgust down his spine.

“Quit scowling like bulldog.” His partner’s chirpy voice came through his earpiece. “Could you look like you’re enjoying the party?”

“Negative,” was his curt reply. 

“Aw man, come on. You got a hot chick on your side, champagne is flowing, no threats to worry about… Loosen up, Buddy.”

Some things never changed, he thought while the scowl deepened on his striking face. Duo was as much an idiot now as he had been at age fifteen.

“There are always threats to worry about,” he deadpanned.

But lately, there had been few. The longer the peace lasted, the less people felt inclined to target the former Queen of the World. Heero almost dared to think the world had become safer. Almost. He wasn’t a fool. To him, a too young veteran of the war that had ended eleven years ago, the world would always contain danger. One tiny moment in which he would let his guard down, and the world could erupt in chaos. 

He was never going to allow that to happen. 

Relena turned towards him and gently touched his arm. “We should mingle.”

“I’d rather you dance, so it’s easier to keep an eye on you.”

“Then you’ll have to dance with me. No handsome partner is coming to offer himself with you hovering over me like a gloomy shadow,” she teased.

If he danced with her, she wouldn’t be able to wander off. He would be able to stick to her like the gloomy shadow she had just called him. He hated events like these. Absolutely loathed them. But they were a necessary evil that came with the job. 

The orchestra started on a waltz, and he swept Relena onto the dance floor. While they danced, he allowed his gaze to wander around the room, looking of any potential threats and checking if his colleagues were still in their intended positions. Nothing was out of the ordinary, but he still couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was about to go terribly wrong. Such instincts never left you, not even after eleven years of peacetime.

“Oh man…” Duo’s voice sounded appreciative in his earpiece. “A real stunner has just entered. Why am I stuck in the basement on nights like this?”

“Because you’ll raid the buffet table instead of doing your work,” came Wufei’s dry reply. He was stationed next to the entrance to the ballroom, overlooking the crowd and the dancing couples. “Focus, Maxwell.”

“I am focusing.” Duo let out an appreciative whistle.

Heero rolled his eyes and let Relena off the dance floor as the orchestra ended the waltz. He allowed her to mingle with the guests for a while, sticking to her side while continuously scanning the room around him. _Loosen up,_ he told himself, _nothing is going to happen._ But he couldn’t ignore the fact that the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. Danger was close by and it was staring right at him.

But the threat wasn’t on the floor level. He stood closer to Relena, his hand carefully shackling around her upper arm. The gesture put her on guard, as it was a way to communicate. The silent signal would tell her to prepare for the worst. 

“Duo, the balcony.”

“All clear.”

“Certain?”

“Positive. The guards haven’t left their station. ”

Was he getting paranoid? 

But before he could look up, he heard the distinct click of a sound suppressor. In an instant, he yanked Relena to the floor and behind him, not even feeling the impact of the bullet as it penetrated his skin, slicing through muscles, nicking bone. With a grunt he put pressure on his arm and glared up at the balcony as chaos erupted around him.

And his heart stopped right in his chest. 

-x-x-x-

Missed. _Damn it._

Below you the room erupted in chaos. You knew you had precarious seconds until the agents outside the balcony door would barge in. You got up and made your way to the far side of the balcony. There was a wall separating the balcony from the hallway that overlooked the ballroom, making it a little private haven. The banister wrapped around the wall and continued on along the hallway, leaving it open for anyone walking through it to overlook the ballroom. It was closed off for tonight’s event and sided by large windows on one side. They would be your exit. 

You quickly launched yourself around the wall and ducked when bullets buried themselves in the white plaster behind you. You ran towards the first window, slamming your elbow against it to break glass. Below you, your target stood staring up at you in shock. 

You allowed yourself one tiny moment to look back at him. You smirked at him before exiting the building through the window. You quickly skimmed the wall and were over the gate before the agents stationed outside noticed you.

But they were in pursuit, you found not much later, after you had made your way towards the harbor.

The footsteps of the agents were right behind you as you raced past abandoned warehouses. They were fast, well trained, but couldn’t keep up with enhanced abilities caused by genetic experiments. Soon, you were well ahead of them, although one was persistent. He would be hard to get rid of. You needed to lose them and quickly. Your vision zeroed in on an abandoned building of which the doors were open. Perfect. You set course for it and disappeared inside, racing through corridors and avoiding the scraps of rusty metal that had been left discarded on the floor. 

The staircase led to the upper level, and a ramp that ran meters above the floor, from one side of the building to the next. You carefully crept along it, your feet soundless as you moved until you were in position above the middle of the ground floor. 

The two agents crept inside, guns drawn, signaling to each other before splitting up. You’d get the woman first, you decided. If she was out of the way, the man could be taken care of with full focus. You waited in silence, instincts on full alert. You wouldn’t need the gun tucked into the waistband of the black pants. Your body was a weapon on its own and you didn’t need to rely on anything but your hands for a kill. 

You knew you had to move quickly, judging by the sound of approaching sirens in the distance. Not like you needed much time. 

The woman was right underneath you now. You moved swiftly, like an elegant wildcat, and launched yourself off the ramp. The woman went down with a sickening crack to her skull.

Immediately bullets came zipping your way. You quickly rolled and dodged, finding an overturned table to hide behind. You reached behind you and tugged the gun out of your waistband. The male agent had good aim, you mused as you felt the telltale burn of a bullet that had grazed your arm. 

“Sally!” You heard his urgent whisper as he knelt next to his partner, his hand reaching to check her pulse, while his gaze kept scanning the room.

You calculated quickly and were up the next instant, racing towards the building’s exit while firing bullets at the agent still kneeling next to his partner. The sirens were closing in, so you had to move now. You ran outside and rounded the corner, setting course for the canal. The current was strong enough to carry you away quickly. You braced yourself for the icy impact of the water, but barely felt it. You surfaced and swam along with its current, while carefully crossing it at the same time. 

On the other side, you hoisted yourself out of the water and immediately were on the move again, careful to keep your hand pressed over your bleeding arm. You needed to keep moving to keep your body from cooling off in the cold temperatures of Brussels’s winter. You stuck to the shadows, relying on them to cover for you. Brussels, being a major stage for the ESUN’s government, was a well secured city with cameras installed on every street corner. You were careful to keep out of their sights. 

Your mission was not finished yet, so you couldn’t afford to be caught. 

A woman in wet clothes was a rare sight on streets in the middle of the night, so you quickly disappeared in a dark alley, smirking as you found the bag you had stashed there earlier still in its hiding place. You slipped out of the wet clothes, tore a strip of cloth from the shirt and used it to bind your arm, and dressed into the jeans and fashionable coat. You pulled the beanie over your wet hair and then dumped your wet clothes into a trash can. 

You skimmed the wall and over it, landing softly on the balls of your feet. You quickly crossed the garden of the apartment building looming over you and found the entrance, exiting the building on the street side, just four hours after you had come in. 

None would suspect anything. You were just a woman, walking between one apartment building and the next, presumably visiting a friend or a lover. As the road you walked along was busy with nightlife and tourists, none would look into it. You had planned your mission carefully, had thought out every possible outcome and were well prepared to retaliate against every obstacle in your way. 

Obstacles were to be eliminated. 

You refused to feel angry about your failed mission. After all, seeing Heero Yuy look like he had just seen a ghost had been worth it.

**\- End chapter 1-**


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of this story! I’m hard at work to finish it so I can keep on updating regularly!
> 
> Please let me know what you think! :)
> 
> Disclaimer: I don’t own Gundam Wing, its characters, or you.

**Deadly Intent  
Chapter 2**

“What I want to know is how three of my best agents ended up wounded.”

Commander Une never beat around the bush. Her face was set in hard lines, the shadows under her eyes hinting at the lack of sleep the night had caused her.

“She was able to avoid the cameras pretty well, so the images of her give us next to nothing. What we managed to capture of her face doesn’t come up in any of the databanks,” Duo said as he stood over the computer board, furiously typing away. “I’ve run the pictures through several facial recognition programs, but every time I come up with nothing. I’ve done a check on the name she put onto the guest list, but it’s probably a fake.”

Of course it was. Heero fought the urge to scowl. He moved forward, irritated by the way the sling affected his movement. Across from him, Wufei reached to adjust his own sling. Both of them hadn’t been able to remain unscathed by the ordeal. But Sally was in a worse shape. The alteration left her in a coma in the hospital. 

“She has to have infiltrated the party months in advance,” Wufei said. “How could we have overlooked it?”

“She must be a professional.” Duo swiped his hand over the board in the direction of the wall in front of them, and the woman’s pictures were projected on it. “Now, we’ve got to figure out who she is working for.”

“We’ll look into it,” Wufei promised Commander Une. “You can leave it to us.”

The look on her face was still murderous as she left the room. She had to give a press conference in fifteen minutes and hated the prospect of having to admit that mistakes had been made. Her prided organization had failed.

“No death threats have been issued lately,” Wufei said, returning to the task at hand. “The ones before have been investigated and the organizations and people behind them arrested.”

“So why would she target Relena?”

Heero steeled himself as he prepared to weigh in his own opinion. “She wasn’t aiming for Relena.”

“Who then?” Duo gave him a questioning look.

He prepared to say it, knowing it would lead to questions. Endless questions he didn’t want to answer. Each one of them had their own demons, and there was an unspoken agreement between them that they never talked about their time before the war, the time when each of them had been trained for their role in it. Talking about it was saved for therapy sessions with the department shrink. But he now had to tell his friends. “Me.”

He was met with shocked stares. Duo was the first one who found his voice. “You know her?”

Heero trained his gaze on the wall still displaying the picture of the woman in an elegant evening dress. She had chosen her cover well, he thought grimly. The stunning gown covered her body from neck to toe, hiding what must be grueling scars.

“She was supposed to be dead,” he said. 

In a flash, Wufei was at his side, grasping his shirt and hauling him closer. “Why didn’t you tell us? My partner is in a critical condition!”

“I’m telling you now,” Heero deadpanned coldly. 

Wufei seethed and let go of him. 

“The name she used is indeed fake,” Heero said as turned back to Duo. “You won’t be able to find anything on her.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because, technically, she is as nameless as I am.”

-x-x-x-

You stitched the wound on your arm with calm intent, barely feeling the sting of the needle as it cut through skin, pulling the wound closed. After everything you had endured, stitching up a wound was nothing. A walk in the park really. You tied off the last stitch and the methodically bandaged up your arm. You flexed it, testing the bandage. It was nothing serious, but you would need to lay low for some time. 

There was no use going after the nameless soldier that nowadays went by the name Heero Yuy, now that he and his colleagues were on high alert. He would be expecting it if you went after him so soon. 

You got up and put the first aid kit away. The apartment was bare, only holding the necessary items like a couch, a bed, and a desk on which your laptop and an advanced desktop computer were set up. You wouldn’t need anything else for your mission. You returned to your desk and booted up the computer, working your way through the various security programs and passwords you had installed on it. 

The internet had exploded. The news was everywhere. _Unknown woman makes attempt on the life of Relena Darlian. Shooter at ESUN Christmas event. Relena Darlian once again in danger._

Idiots. You scowled as you scanned over the news articles. Couldn’t get their facts right. Or maybe Preventer was downplaying it. It would be easier to spread the rumor that a shooter had aimed at the Vice Foreign Minister, than at a former Gundam Pilot. 

And knowing _him_ … He wouldn’t want to be in the spotlight any more than he already was. 

You opened the file in which you had collected all the info you had on him. The nameless boy with the striking face that Doctor J had taken in had grown up into a man that radiated danger. Preventer kept secured files on him, which had been difficult to access. You still hadn’t managed to get into all of them. Heero Yuy, the code name that Doctor J had given him, was now officially documented, along with a date of birth - obviously fake, you mused- and a long list of accomplishments. He was listed as a war hero, and seeing the registration of the Medal of Honor made you once again feel a wave of bitterness. 

He had all the acknowledgements. And you? You had nothing. Nothing, but bitterness and terrible memories. And it was all his fault. 

After the war, Heero Yuy had started working for Preventer. First as an active field agent, but the last few years he had worked as a personal bodyguard to Relena Darlian. He was also the designer of the security software that Preventer relied on. You tutted and smirked. Not so smart, considering you were the only person alive besides him to be able to breach it. In his after wartime life, Heero Yuy had grown careless. And that would be his downfall. You’d destroy him. 

It was all he deserved. If he hadn’t been such a weak minded wimp, your life wouldn’t have been destroyed before it had really begun. 

You glared at the computer and closed down the files. You had to keep control of the anger. If you unleashed it now, you would surely screw up. You weren’t planning on living much longer, but you’d have to take him down first. You would get to him. You would kill him. You’d make sure of it.

Heero Yuy wasn’t going to be alive for very much longer.

The world would be better off without him. And after you’d gotten rid of him, you’d be able to rest peacefully yourself. 

It’d be just a matter of time.

“Just wait, you bastard,” you muttered darkly. “I’ll get you.”

And when you’d get him, he would pay.

-x-x-x-

They met at Duo’s place. Heero could practically feel Wufei’s glare burn on his back as he stood in front of the window, looking out onto the park that Duo’s apartment building neighbored. Wufei had protested his request to keep his connection to the shooter a secret for now. Heero understood, but he also knew that if Une found out he would be taken off the case. And right now, it was the best to stay on it.

“So…” Duo said as he collapsed back in the arm chair. “Spill.”

_How many more times must I kill that girl and her dog?_ he had asked Wufei at the age of sixteen. He had never voiced the second question. _How many more times must I watch that girl in the lab die because of my mistakes?_

The pre-war times were never spoken about and each one of them guarded that part of their lives with vicious intent. It was too dark, too depressing to talk about it. Even now, when life seemed okay. It was always just around the corner and each of them dealt with it in their own way.

“When I was trained…” he began carefully. “There was a girl they kept in the lab.”

He made sure to keep his back to the room, uncomfortable with the idea of revealing something from this part of his life. Before coming to Duo’s place, he had already thought about what parts he would reveal, and what would be left out. He wasn’t going to spill the entire story, just what might important for the others to know.

“She was trained alongside me. J never had the intention of sending her to Earth, but she was there as J’s guinea pig and to give my training a competitive edge. Sometime before I was send to Earth, Dekim Barton ordered for me to be retrained because I was considered too kind.” He paused for a moment and let the words hang in the air for a little while. He heard Wufei shift in his seat behind him. All of them knew that Wufei still felt guilty about joining Mariemaia’s forces. “J left the retraining to one of his subordinates and it was brutal. He decided to test if he had succeeded by torturing the girl in front of me.”

“Jesus…” Duo breathed. “And here I thought I had the sick scientist.”

“He left her to bleed to her death in front of me. I thought she died…”

“But she didn’t,” Wufei concluded. “And now she is after you?”

Heero turned around and regarded his friends. “It’s the only logical explanation I can think of.”

“Alright…” Duo said. “What do we know of her?”

Heero moved to sit down on the couch, now much more at ease that they could discuss the present situation. “She’s genetically enhanced, just like me. Trained to kill, hack, you name it. ”

“Basically a female version of you.” Duo bared his teeth in a grin. “Should be fun.”

Wufei glared at him. “She put Sally in the hospital, so I hardly think this is a laughing matter.”

“Sally didn’t know what she was up against. But we do,” Heero said, ignoring Duo’s jab. He was used to the man’s teasing by now. “And I plan to bring her down.”

“You got a plan?” Duo asked.

“She’ll probably lay low for a while, thinking I’m on guard now that I know that she is after me.” A smirk began to form on Heero’s face. “I plan to lure her out.”

“How?” Wufei questioned.

“By doing the exact opposite of what she is expecting of me.” He tapped his wounded arm. “Once this is healed, I plan to go and be out in the open as much as possible.”

“You’re insane,” Duo declared. “She won’t miss a second time if you make yourself an easy target like that.”

“Maybe,” Heero said easily. “Or it’ll confuse her.”

Duo sighed. “Okay… I’ll dive into the gala’s security. I’ll find out how she managed to breach it and if I can find anything on the name she put on the guest list.”

“Those photo’s we got off the security tapes are useless,” Wufei said. 

“She’s trained to avoid them, just like we were.”

Duo grinned, his eyes taking on a dangerous glint. “As if we’re hunting one of our own.”

“At what point do you plan to tell Une?” Wufei asked. “You can’t keep this from her.”

“I know…” Heero said with a nod. “As soon as I know more, I’ll tell her personally. I’m not trusting anyone until we have this woman captured.”

“Okay. I’ll contact Quatre and Trowa to tell them to be on guard as well,” Wufei offered. “If she is so intent on getting to you, it’ll be best to warn those close to you.”

Heero couldn’t fault Wufei for his logic. He had no idea what the woman might do, and now that he was planning to lure her out he had to be careful. He couldn’t risk anyone else getting hurt. It was bad enough that Sally had fallen victim, and although that was something that probably couldn’t have been avoided considering what they were up against, Heero felt incredibly guilty about that. 

He’d have to tread carefully, but he would get her. 

Something inside of him bubbled to the surface, and with a sharp pang he realized it were feelings that had been long dormant. The insatiable thirst for violence and bloodshed, the ruthless need to strike down what was haunting him. Feelings of the soldier that had no place in this time of peace. But for now they were necessary and so he embraced them. 

He saw how Duo noticed, and a dangerous smirk came to play around the braided man’s lips. Duo recognized what was happening and was embracing his own viciousness. No doubt he was planning to hunt the woman too. It was the competitive edge to their friendship. 

Well, Duo could forget about joining on the hunt. Heero would get to her first. 

**\- End chapter 2 -**


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s finally update time for this story! :D
> 
> Disclaimer: I don’t own Gundam Wing, its characters, or you.

**Deadly Intent  
Chapter 3**

You lay low for a few weeks, carefully selecting a new apartment as your new safe house, before moving your meager belongings over. A new place, a new identity. Just in time, you thought with a grim smile as you walked by the old apartment building a few days later and saw a team of Preventer Agents making their way to the building’s entrance.

Heero Yuy had come sniffing your trail, so to speak. 

You entered a café on the opposite side of the street and ordered a coffee, casually sipping it in front of the window as you waited for the Preventer agents to come out again. You pulled your beanie further over your head and nearly grinned when the agents stepped outside. One of them was the black haired Asian agent that had fired at you in the warehouse. You studied him carefully. By the way he held himself and how the other agents reacted to him, you guessed him to be in charge. 

Something told you this man was not to be underestimated. He had been able to hit you, but that was not the only thing to be aware of. You’d do research on him as soon as you got back to your new apartment. If he was on your case, he had to work closely with Heero Yuy. 

You left the café, nearly laughing out loud as you walked away from the agents in plain sight. The idiots. They didn’t have an inkling of what was right under their nose. Once again. It was almost laughable how easy it was to mislead them. But they were catching on, so you’d have to become more careful. It gave you a strange feeling of excitement. The danger of it was addicting. A cat and mouse game, played with one of the most powerful organizations in the world.

You walked in an easy pace, strolling along shop windows leisurely. You idly studied pretty dresses and clothes, high heeled shoes that spoke of elegance. Clothes you’d never be able to wear. The bitterness crept up on you and you shook your head as if to clear it. The evening gown you had worn during your entrance to the gala had been a carefully selected item, painstakingly altered to cover your body from neck to toe. The striking face was often something that lured men, but the body to go with it disgusted them. You’d been better off dead. With your mangled body, you’d never be able to live a normal life. The wounds might have healed, but the mental scars had never lessened. They often weren’t even bearable. 

You scowled and continued on your way. There was no use reminiscing about what had happened. You had a mission to complete. If you didn’t, your suffering would never end. 

You reached your apartment and immediately went to work. You made sure your computer was secured and untraceable when you hacked into the Preventer database. You checked Heero Yuy’s profile again and then searched for similar profiles within the agency. You came across three.

 _Interesting… Very interesting,_ you mused as you read over the information and the pictures to go along with that. Wufei Chang was the agent you had seen at your old apartment building. Originated from the L5 colony cluster, same age as Heero Yuy… Then there was a Duo Maxwell, who hailed from L2. The mentioning of L2 send a violent shiver down your spine as you tried to suppress the memories that came with it. But as you gazed at the picture of the agent, you stiffened.

_How was that possible?!?_

You swallowed thickly and dug further into his file, nearly forgetting there was a third agent for you to check. Agent Maxwell held your entire focus. 

_“Hey! You okay?” Callused hands that gently touched your face as you struggled to focus. “Can you hear me?”_

You shook your head wildly. If he was on your case… No, he wouldn’t be able to recognize you. Your hair had been short then, and your face black and blue from Markus’ cronies beating you. 

Your eyes narrowed into a glare. Focus. 

Duo Maxwell was also the same age as Heero Yuy. Hmm… On to agent number three. You nearly snorted when you read the name on the file. If you wanted to stand out, you surely had to use a dead man’s name. Trowa Barton was obviously not who he pretended to be. You had been well informed on Operation Meteor and had dug through various old databases, and so you knew that Trowa Barton had to be way older than the handsome man staring back at you from the screen.

But his name coming up confirmed something. Vital information, really. Wufei Chang, Duo Maxwell, and Trowa Barton were former Gundam Pilots, just like Heero Yuy. Of course, Preventer wouldn’t put that bit of Intel in their employees’ profiles, but you had been trained by a Gundam engineer. You knew what to look for. 

You rested your elbows on the desk and folded your hands under your chin as you intently stared at the screen. Trowa Barton didn’t work for Preventer full time. His profile stated he only would get called in if unprecedented circumstances asked for it. So you probably wouldn’t be dealing with him.

Your focus would be on outrunning the three active agents, while hunting one of them down. You smirked as a plan began to form. Of course, Yuy wouldn’t expect that. The idiot was prancing around in the open as if he didn’t have a care in the world. Like he didn’t have a target on his back. The fucker was trying to lure you out. 

Well… you’d see who was luring whom.

With a chuckle, you logged off, making sure the security on your computer was well in place, before you went to the bedroom and dug out a duffel bag from your closet. You’d select your weapons carefully. 

It had been a while since you had been hand to hand with him. You were eager to find out if you’d be able to outsmart him.

-x-x-x-

“I got something!” 

Duo came bursting into Heero’s office with an excited gleam in his eyes. Heero looked up from the email he was typing and mentioned for Duo to close the door.

Duo dumped a tablet onto the desk. “Markus Holden.”

“Markus who?” Heero leaned over the tablet and looked at the picture of the convicted criminal. It was taken from Preventer’s database, so Markus Holden had been a serious enough threat for Preventer to go after.

“I arrested this guy five, no six years ago,” Duo said.

“And his connection to our current case is…?”

Duo’s grin turned triumphant. “I was checking the woman’s pictures again and something stroke me as odd. She seemed rather familiar.”

Heero raised an eyebrow in question.

“I went back to check over my old cases. You know… the undercover ones I used to take back in the day?” Duo took the tablet and pulled up another series of photos. “Guess what I discovered?”

Heero’s eyes widened as he took in the pictures that Duo presented him with. “That’s her!”

Her hair was short on the pictures and her face covered in blood and bruises, but it definitely was the woman. 

“Markus Holden was an L2 mobster. Too difficult for the local police to take on, and since he was dealing in arms Preventer took over. We found her in the basement when we raided his safe house. I assumed she was a victim. She surely played the part and even gave a statement.” Duo took the tablet again and pulled up some documents. “Une insisted on closing the case, so we did, but I never got the chance to bring in his handler.”

“Handler?”

“Holden had a handler, who took care of eliminating his enemies or obstacles. I think this woman was his handler,” Duo said.

Heero scanned the content of the documents. “It’d make perfect sense.”

“Yeah,” Duo agreed. “Her methods were flawless, so it was hard to figure out a profile. But now that I know she is connected to Holden and considering the way she infiltrated the gala, I’m one hundred percent sure it’s her.”

“How about we question this Holden?” Heero suggested. “They might no longer be connected, but I’m sure he could give us useful information.”

Duo grinned. “I’ll take care of it. It will be nice to set my teeth in that bastard again.”

“Is he jailed on L2?”

“No. Earth, actually. The bastard has connections everywhere so I wasn’t going to risk him corrupting the prison there.” Duo took the tablet again and got up. “Another interesting fact is that he had a guy working for him who specialized in false identities.”

“As in passports and such?”

Duo nodded. “I’ll see if I can get some names she might be using from him.”

“Thanks Duo.”

“Any time, Buddy.” With a casual wave, Duo left his office. 

Heero leaned back into his chair and sighed. She had been right under their nose. Damn it. But now they had a lead. It might not give them anything, but it wouldn’t hurt to question this Markus Holden. Heero could only hope that Duo would manage to wrangle anything out of the man. Something useful preferably. 

He went back to finishing his email. Just when he was about to click on the send button, his phone started vibrating.

He idly glanced at the screen, but had to focus his full attention on it when he saw the display. He grabbed his phone and scowled. The alarm system on his apartment was connected to his phone, and right now it was telling him that someone had broken into his apartment. With a growl he got up. Whoever had dared to enter his home was going to pay dearly. He had no time to worry about a random burglar. 

He halted dead in his tracks. Unless it wasn’t some random burglar. His hand came to rest on his gun, safely tucked away in the holster at his belt. He’d have to be on guard and careful. But if it was the woman, he’d capture her. 

So the mouse had come out. Time to trap it.

-x-x-x-

He kept pictures of him on and his friends on the fridge, held in place by magnets that were no doubt taken home as souvenirs from travel. It was odd to see such a silly form of domestication from a man who had been trained to only think of survival and bloodshed. The pictures were proof that he had adjusted to life after war. But even so Heero Yuy didn’t smile much. On the pictures he only seemed to manage a small twist of lips that hinted at a smile. 

That, you recalled from your days in the lab, where he had been just as blank faced. But then his eyes had been blank too. Now they seemed warmer, a hint of humor in some pictures. There were pictures with the three other Preventer agents you had investigated, but also group shots that included Relena Darlian and a blond man with a warm smile that you recognized as Quatre Raberba Winner. What was such a rich, entitled punk doing with former Gundam Pilots, you wondered. 

Unless….

You grinned menacingly. Unless Quatre Winner was the fifth Gundam Pilot. It made perfect sense. You nearly cackled out loud. Who would have thought? He was friends with them, even after the war. What an accomplishment for such a loner. 

You wandered back into the living room and checked your watch. You knew it was only a matter of time before he showed up. The security system on his apartment was more advanced than what the average bank had installed. Now… how should you go about this? You hopped onto the dinner table and took out your gun. From here you had a good vantage point of the door leading to the hallway. As soon as he’d open the door… **bang**. Or maybe the knives were more fun. 

Then he’d know how it felt. 

You pursed your lips in thought and grinned when you heard the distinct sound of a key being stuck in the lock. He was very careful not to make any sound, but your hearing was more than excellent, so he wouldn’t be able to slip in unnoticed. Your fingers tightened around the gun and you aimed it at the door. You assumed a casual pose, but your muscles were coiled, ready to move.

The door flew open and banged against the wall. In front of you, Heero Yuy stood, gun trained on your head and murder in his eyes. 

“Well, well…” you purred.

Up close he was even more gorgeous. Well, well indeed. Too bad you hated him, or you would have definitely been tempted to find out if his body was as gorgeous as the way his clothes fit him promised.

“You,” he growled. 

“Yes. Me.” You bared your teeth at him. “Long time no see, Black Alpha.”

His eyes narrowed at you at the use of his old code name. “Same to you. What are you doing here?”

You chuckled, your voice turning cold as you spoke. “Why bother asking when you obviously know the answer?”

He took a menacing step in your direction, but you weren’t fazed. Your body was still ready to move and strike, so you didn’t move a muscle. Violence radiated off of him and it send a wicked thrill to your stomach. It had been too long since you had faced an opponent that could match you. And despite the hate and the need for vengeance, you were curious too. 

_Curiosity always kills the cat…_

Fuck that. You’d walk away from this with just another hit to your name. This was just going to be a test for your body.

“Why after all this time?” he asked.

You pursed your lips. “The best plans always take time.”

He growled. “Bullshit.”

You just laughed, and allowed your shoulders to relax just a fraction. It was a purposeful move to get a reaction out of him. The next moment you launched your body up as he pounced. You twisted in the air, aiming your gun and pulling the trigger. He ducked and rolled, the bullet burying in the wall behind his head. He reciprocated, arm swinging around to bring his gun in your direction. You rolled behind an armchair, just in time to dodge the bullet that wizzed over your head. You frowned when you noticed it hadn’t been really aimed to kill. You were obviously here to kill him, why hadn’t he struck when he had the chance?

“You might wanna try and aim better,” you called out to him. 

You grinned darkly when you heard the telltale crash of the dinner table being flipped over. He had found his own cover. You could keep at this for a while. You carried plenty of extra clips on you, so you wouldn’t run out of ammo anytime soon. The arm chair wouldn’t provide enough cover for long, you noticed when he fired another bullet in your direction. You growled and blindly aimed in his direction, firing three bullets as you rolled behind a cabinet. The space was smaller but the material more solid. And it brought you closer to him.

When you fired the fatal shot, you wanted to see his face. Look him in eyes as he bled out. That would be your satisfaction.

“I can keep this up for a while!” you shouted as you lowered yourself down to a crouched position behind the cabinet. “What about you, tough guy?”

Your answer was a stream of bullets. One shattered the window behind you. You laughed and jumped up, racing through the room and launching yourself up. You flew over the overturned dinner table and aimed your gun at him. But he was quick to jump up and grab on to you. Together you landed in a heap of limbs on the floor. You grappled for his gun, growling when he managed to get a hold on yours. 

“You’re dead,” you hissed at him and head butted him.

He shackled a hand around your throat and managed to wrestle your gun away from you. He shoved both guns away and they skidded over the floor in the direction of the kitchen. You yanked on his hair, and clawed at the hand around your throat, blunt fingernails drawing blood. He noticed when you tried to bring your knee up towards his groin and quickly flipped you onto your stomach. You barely felt the pain as he shoved his knee into your back and yanked your arms behind you. 

“Enough,” he spat. 

You willfully relaxed your body, but he obviously wasn’t going to fall for that a second time. He forcefully yanked you up and dragged you over to the radiator. You struggled, but damn it, he was so goddam strong. In comparison to him you fell short. He bound your wrists behind your back with zip ties. 

“You know I can break out of these,” you told him pointedly.

“You’ll slice open your wrists in the process,” he deadpanned bluntly. 

“Do you think I care?” you asked him.

The set of his mouth was tight, bitter. He grasped onto your hair and yanked your head back, forcing you to meet his furious gaze. “Talk.”

You spat at him, hatred burning in your eyes. “Fuck you.”

He reached behind him and pulled out a pair of handcuffs, using them to secure your arms as well. “Looks like you’ll be stuck here for a while.” 

You stubbornly forced your gaze away and focused on the wall. 

“Fine.” His reaction was flat. 

He got up and picked up the guns from the floor. He put his own back in its holster and emptied your clip. 

“Sooner or later I will find out,” he promised you in a dark tone. “Whether you tell me or not.”

You continued to glare at the wall, and only tore your gaze away when he walked out of the kitchen. He started tidying the mess his living room had turned into. You noticed the forming bruise on his face where you head had connected with his. That gave you a grim sense of satisfaction. You wiggled your arms behind your back to test the cuffs. You’d get out of this. The fact that he hadn’t killed you made you sure. You’d free yourself and then he would be sorry for not striking when he had the chance. 

**\- End chapter 3 -**


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m on a roll writing the final chapters of this story, so updates should be more regular from now on! :)
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> Disclaimer: I don’t own Gundam Wing, its characters, or you.

**Deadly Intent  
Chapter 4**

How the hell was he supposed to go from here? Heero grumbled to himself as he put the new window in place. It had been a pain in the ass to keep one of his neighbors out when they had come to check if everything was okay after hearing the gunshots. He had been lucky the shots had been fired in the middle of the day, when most of the people living around him were at work. Still, it had been a gamble to leave the apartment to get the items needed for the repairs. The woman was still chained to the radiator, and she was going to stay there for a while. 

Until she talked. 

That was a job not easy to accomplish as she had stubbornly ignored him while he had put his apartment to rights. He was hoping that Duo managed to wheedle information out of Markus Holden, so that he could confront her. 

He sealed the window in place and rested the caulk gun against his shoulder as he surveyed his work. _None would be the wiser._ He went to put the items away and then took a shower. He just came walking out of the bathroom when his phone started ringing on his nightstand. He checked the caller’s ID and smirked.

“Duo.”

“Hi… I got something.” Duo kept his voice low, which indicated that he was in a place where it would be hard to keep their phone conversation confidential. “I’ll head back to the office and forward you the info that I got.”

“Thanks. Did he talk?”

“At first not. But when I shoved her picture under his nose he started sprouting nonsense. I think he might send his own goons after her.

“So we have to get her first,” Heero concluded. “Alright. Send me the info you got and I’ll take a look at it.”

“Sure thing. I send a local agent to the L2 prison to question the falsifier and I got some names out of him too.”

“Great.”

He hung up and placed his phone in the pocket of his jeans. So Markus Holden still held an interest in the woman. Heero could understand why. Her special abilities would be very useful to a crime lord, just as his own were useful to Preventer. But some gut feeling told him there was more to it.

He pulled on a shirt and when back to the kitchen. The woman was leaning back against the radiator, her eyes closed. But she opened them when she heard his footsteps, and her glare was fierce as she gazed at him. 

“It would be much easier if you cooperated,” he told her. “Why not tell me yourself, before I find out through my colleagues?”

His phone beeped and he fished it out of his pocket. Duo had sent him the information. He opened the file transfer and scanned the contents, a smirk forming on his face as a plan began to form. There were pictures, forms, passports and identity papers, all bearing the face of the woman currently chained to his radiator. But the last passport caught his attention. Duo had added a little note to it, saying it was the most recent dating back to about six years ago. From around the time Duo had found her in the safe house. 

“-Y/N- -L/N-.”

The woman’s head shot up and she gave him a razor sharp look. Heero just smirked back and made his way over to her, crouching down in front of her to show her his phone’s display.

“I told you we’d find out.”

“How?” she bit out coldly. 

“We have our sources. One of them is one of your old acquaintances.” He shuffled through the information again and showed her the picture of Markus Holden. “Does the name Markus Holden ring a bell?”

He watched intently for her reaction and was surprised to see a flicker of fear in the woman’s eyes. Interesting. She was quick to mask it though and snarled. “Fuck you.”

He smirked and dangled his phone in front of her face, intentionally baiting her. 

“It seems he still has a score to settle with you,” he said, drawing each word out for the maximum effect. 

The woman went completely still. Her face became blank and she stared ahead with non-seeing eyes. “Is that so?” she whispered harshly. “I’ll kill him before he gets one look at me.”

So the hatred seemed mutual. Heero couldn’t help but be curious. What was the woman’s link to Markus Holden? Why had Duo found her in the basement after raiding his safe house? 

“You were Holden’s handler, weren’t you?” he asked. “I can’t help but wonder what you were doing in the basement of his safe house when my colleagues raided it.”

“None of your damn business!” she snapped at him, anger flaring in her eyes.

It seemed it was a sensitive topic. He would milk it for all it was worth.

He clucked his tongue and pulled up the photo Preventer had taken of her back then. “You knew quite well how to play the victim. What happened? You screwed up and he took it out on you?”

She stubbornly turned her head away and remained silent.

“You killed the wrong man? Or did you betray him?” He fired off the questions rapidly, noticing how her anger sparked once again. 

He didn’t recall her having much of a temper. She had been a very calm and collected girl at the age of fourteen. But now… She seemed less in control. Heero had learned to tap into his emotions again through endless therapy sessions after the war. The PTSD was still there, always on the verge of his mind, but he had learned how to handle it. It hadn’t been easy, a road filled with trial and error, violent outbursts, nightmares and terror, but he had pulled through. He had become… somewhat normal. But this woman, who no doubt had a trauma of her own, had not been offered that kind of help. 

“I said it was none of your damn business!” she yelled. 

“You betrayed him?”

“I ain’t telling you shit!” The fire in her eyes was vicious and full of contempt. 

He had no doubt that she would tear him to pieces if she had the chance. Well, he would make sure she’d never have it. He had won their struggle earlier because he was stronger than her and had seen the opportunity. But she could be a real threat if he wasn’t careful. 

He sat down in front of her and studied her in silence. She had grown up to be strikingly beautiful. She had been pretty as a girl, but the woman he found much more astounding. Her face was bare of any make-up, with high cheekbones, thick lashes, and a full mouth that could be a man’s dream if she didn’t use it to sneer. Her body was engulfed in tight formfitting black pants and a long sleeved turtleneck shirt. 

_To hide the scars,_ he realized with a pang. He had to fight the memories that burned at the back of his mind. Flashes of blood, horrible gaping wounds, and the girl’s cries of pain. The gurgling sound of her breathing as she had been left to bleed to her death. The expression of utter betrayal on her face when she had realized he wasn’t going to save her.

He pressed a hand over his eyes and took a deep breath. _Easy. Breathe._ He was okay, and she appeared to be okay too. She had survived. She was very much alive, pissed off obviously, but alive and sitting across from him, chained to his kitchen radiator.

_She had survived,_ he told himself again. _But at what price?_

-x-x-x-

_“Be careful out there.”_

_“I’ll come back, I promise.”_

_You smiled at the boy, noticing how his eyes warmed slightly when he saw your smile. He moved closer to you and reached for your hand._

_“I’ll be back before you know it.”_

_Your smile widened. “I know. You’re fast and precise. It’ll be a piece of cake.”_

_“Hn.” His lips twitched into the barest hint of a smile._

_He used his grip on your hand to tug you closer. Your eyes widened in surprise when he leaned in and carefully pressed his lips against yours in a chaste kiss. His lips were soft against yours, the pressure a little uncertain. Neither of you had done this before and you weren’t really sure how to respond, other than to blush madly._

_“I, uh...” you stammered once he pulled back._

_He gave your hand a squeeze before letting go. “Wish me luck.”_

_“Good luck,” you whispered to his retreating back._

-x-x-x-

You came awake with a start, dreams still clouding your mind, and you struggled to get more comfortable. The radiator was not the best surface to sleep against, but Hell would freeze over before you voiced any complaints. You had been in worse circumstances. 

Heero had retreated to his bedroom for the night, leaving you tied to the kitchen radiator. You had tested the cuffs countless times, but couldn’t break out of them. Not with the zip ties still tied around your wrists too. Damn it. He knew how to keep you in one place. You’d mangle your wrists if you managed to break out. He had effectively stripped you of your weapons and had taken them with him when he went to bed. He hadn’t offered you water or food, or the use of his bathroom. Damn it, you needed to pee. 

The asshole.

You knew it was a way to try and get you to talk. He wanted to know why Markus would come after you. Markus… A shiver ran down your spine and you tried to suppress the uncomfortable feeling in your stomach at the thought of that monster. You never liked thinking back to your time as Markus’ handler. You hated the way he had used you in so many ways for his personal gain. And when you had tried to break free he had turned on you and had locked you up in his basement with his cronies, letting them add more scars to your already mangled body. 

Heero Yuy would never know about that dark time in your life. 

You struggled against the cuffs, the metal clanging against the radiator loudly. 

“Fucking asshole,” you ground out through clenched teeth. “You just wait…”

“For what?” 

Your head snapped up at the sound of his voice, a little rough with sleep, to find him standing in the doorway. The shock you felt at his stage of undress had nothing to do with the fact that he was breathtakingly gorgeous. It had everything to do with the scars that littered his torso. Burn marks, thin lines crisscrossing over his flesh, the telltale round marks left by bullets. The burn marks were the worst. They had faded over time, but you noticed how they covered him. 

And then you remembered the info you had read in the files J had kept. He had self-destructed his Gundam during the war. _That must have hurt,_ you thought gleefully. 

He stepped into the kitchen and retrieved a glass from one of the cupboards. As he went to fill it with water, you got a good look at his backside, and saw that more scars littered his skin there. And once again, the burn marks were the most prominent. 

“Enjoying the view?” he questioned in a dry tone.

You snorted. “As if.”

There was a glint of humor in his eyes as he turned his head to look at you. You stubbornly turned your head away. Despite all your bravado you felt heat rise to your cheeks. He obviously wasn’t ashamed about the way his body looked. The scars only added to the danger he emitted, only seemed to make all those muscles more alluring. You dared to bet there were scores of women who had sighed and fawned over every mark, every line and then had kissed them. 

No man had ever bothered to kiss yours. 

You looked up again when he knelt down in front of you, and couldn’t keep the bitter look hidden. He didn’t seem fazed however, and held up the glass in his hand. 

“Thirsty?” he asked.

You wanted to snarl at him, but he was quick to press the rim of the glass against your lips, and you were forced to tip your head back. The water was cool and soothed your parched throat. His lips twitched when he pulled the glass back, and his free hand came up to wipe at the droplet of water that slid down your chin. 

You froze at the gentle touch and stared at him. “What are you doing?”

He gave a shrug and got up, keeping his tone casual. “There was water on your chin.”

You glared at him as he put the glass down on the counter and left the kitchen. You sighed and slumped back against the radiator, knowing it was futile to make a scene. You heard him rummaging about in his bedroom, and sometime later he emerged again. He was holding his gun in his hand and you narrowed your eyes at him as he approached you. 

He tucked the gun into the waistband of his sweats and knelt down beside you. “You can use the bathroom if you want.”

Why the fuck was he being civil? It confused you greatly and you growled as he retrieved a knife from one of the kitchen drawers to cut through the zip ties. He then unlocked the cuffs and backed away from you. You nearly chuckled when he pulled out his gun and aimed it at you. He wasn’t stupid and he knew he couldn’t trust you.

Already you were trying to figure out how you could break away and out of the apartment. Preferably with him dead. 

“Move it,” he said, while gesturing in the direction of his bedroom with the gun.

You moved, deciding you would be able to think better if your bladder wasn’t protesting, and walked ahead of him. The bedroom was not surprisingly Spartan. There were few decorations, and the sheets on the bed where a plain blue cotton. The door to the bathroom was ajar, you noticed, before spotting your gun and knives on the dresser in the corner. 

“Go on,” he said behind you. 

You glared at him and quickly dashed into the bathroom, slamming and locking the door behind you. Now… what could you use as a weapon? No, pee first. You quickly relieved yourself and washed your hands. Afterwards you quietly checked the cabinets and nearly groaned out loud. He had taken out any sharp objects. There wasn’t a razor in sight, not even a fucking toothpick. 

Well… Things were about to turn interesting, you thought darkly. 

-x-x-x-

Heero waited for the woman to come out again. He could tell his actions had confused her greatly and that gave him a feeling of satisfaction. _Let her wonder and guess,_ he thought. He knew he had to bring her in sooner or later, but he couldn’t help but be curious. They had shared a part of their childhood together and he wanted to know what had happened to her after she had been tortured so viciously. If he could just get her to talk…

He rubbed a hand over his brow and grumbled to himself. He was dead tired, having slept restlessly throughout the night and awakened by a phone call from Wufei to tell him that Sally had finally woken up. Time would tell if there was any permanent damage, but Wufei had told him she had been coherent. Good news, he knew, but he would have preferred to sleep through the night so he could have dealt with his ´guest´ in the morning with a clear head. 

He heard the click of the bathroom door being unlocked and quickly regained his composure. But before he had a chance to blink, the door crashed open and the woman pounced on him in a furious whirlwind of limbs. 

“What the...” he ground out as he blocked the flying kick she aimed at his head. 

He knocked the fist aimed at his stomach away with the flat side of his gun. The hatred in her eyes stunned him enough to let her land a blow on his jaw. As he went down he grabbed her arm and yanked her with him as he landed on the bed, his gun tumbling to the ground. He quickly rolled her underneath him, glaring at her furiously.

“Enough,” he spat in her face.

She lay still underneath him, her breathing labored and her eyes blazing. He kept a firm grip on her arms as he sat up and glared down at her.

“Here I was trying to be nice,” he growled. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”

“Get off me,” she snapped, and bucked furiously to try and free herself. 

He found himself struggling with her once more. She was stronger than he had anticipated and more agile than he remembered. He kept a vicious work-out schedule himself and it occurred to him she kept in shape as well. Of course she did. She knew what she was up against, so she had prepared. Well… he’d show her. 

Fucking bitch. 

He growled when she forcefully kicked his shin and before he had a chance to blink he found himself flat on his back with her hands around his throat. The edges of his vision blurred when she cut off his air, gleefully glaring down at him. 

“Being nice gets you killed,” she hissed out. “Or did you forget?”

He pushed her hard, sending her flying across the room. She rolled across the floor and was up the next instant, a near maniacal grin on her face. It was an expression that reminded him too much of his own youth and made bad memories and guilt surface. It was because of him that she was like this. 

He shot up when she made a dash for the dresser. He had stored the clips he had confiscated off of her in the back of his closet so the gun was useless, but the knives were still on there. Stupid mistake. Being nice really was going to get him killed. He dashed forward, his gaze trained on her hands as she grasped the knives and swiftly turned around and darted in the direction of the door. He had to duck as she sent one of the knives flying in his direction. She wouldn’t throw the second knife, he knew. It was the only defense she had left. Unless she made it to the kitchen.

He growled as he realized her intent and quickly pounced, making a wild grab for her arms, just as she brought a hand, the one clutching the knife, up. He froze, glaring down at her as she kept the knife pressed against his throat. The blade pressed into his skin, and painfully so when he swallowed. 

“Got you now,” she drawled. 

“Don’t count on it yet,” he said coolly, while pressing her back against the door. 

Her grip on the knife tightened and she scowled at him. “You think I won’t do it?”

As if to emphasize her question, she pressed the knife harder against his skin. He could feel the bite of the blade as it broke the skin, but even so he wasn’t fazed. 

“If you had really wanted to kill me,” he said evenly, his eyes boring into hers. “You wouldn’t have missed at the gala.”

“So I missed once… Big deal.”

“Not just once…” A taunting smirk curled around his lips. He wondered if it was wise to provoke her, but he had to make her see his point. “Yesterday you missed a couple of times as well.”

Her eyes widened at the implication. “Shut up.”

“What is it that you’re after, -Y/N-?” he asked, for the first time using the name she had chosen for herself to address her. “What do you want from me?”

Her eyes flared with pain. “Shut up!”

In an instant he could see it. The trauma was written all over her face. She wanted him to suffer as she had suffered. She blamed him for what had happened to her, as much as he had blamed himself over the years. It had only been through endless therapy sessions that he had learned to accept it hadn’t been his fault and that there really hadn’t been anything he could have done for her. 

He reached up to gently touch her chin, making her tip her head back. “I’m sorry for what happened to you.”

To his utter shock, her eyes filled with tears. All that bravado was gone. 

“W-why…” She wildly shook her head, sorrow edged onto those stunning features.

“Because I never had a chance to apologize before,” he told her. 

He noticed that she was trembling. Shaking like a leaf. 

“You have no idea…” she whispered, her eyes losing focus. 

He felt an overwhelming urge to comfort her. Most of the time he didn’t question why he felt a certain way. He still lived by the code that Odin Lowe had taught him. Act on your emotions. And so he didn’t stop to think why he wanted to comfort a woman who had a knife pressed against his throat and was on the verge of breaking down, although it did confuse him. 

He released the arm he had still been holding and brought his other hand up to her face as well. He cupped both her cheeks and noticed how her attention snapped back. Her eyes widened with obvious confusion. _You’re not the only one who is confused,_ he thought with a small smirk. He studied her face, once again marveling at the stunning picture she provided. He had kissed those lips once… before that disastrous mission that had led to his retraining. It had been an innocent, awkward kiss, he mused. His first. 

His thump traced the curve of her cheekbone, and the confusion in her eyes became even more apparent. Realization dawned. She had never been shown kindness and affection. He’d be the first one. It was a ridiculous thought, one that could cost him his job if he acted on it. But the feeling in his gut was too strong too ignore. 

_He wanted her._

Her wide eyes filled his vision as he leaned in and pressed his lips against hers. 

**\- End chapter 4 -**


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two updates on one day?!? Must be something in the tea, I think, LOL. XD
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> Disclaimer: I don’t own Gundam Wing, it’s characters, or you.

**Deadly Intent  
Chapter 5**

You sat in the darkness in the living room, an absent look on your face as you were a little lost in yourself. The shirt was too big on you and slipped down your shoulder, baring scarred skin to the cool air. You had no scruples with the cold, but you shivered nonetheless. In the span of a few hours your world had been torn apart and turned upside down, leaving you uncertain and scrambling. Uncertain of your motives and goals, uncertain about where to go from here. All thanks to a man who was quietly slumbering in the bedroom, his naked body tangled in sheets.

Your body felt strange, almost not your own. You pressed a hand over your eyes and sighed. All those years you had spend hating him, only to discover he was the key to everything you had locked away. Wasn’t that ironic, you mused. You unconsciously bit down on your lip as you thought back on how he had made you feel. Alive, desired, beautiful. Such a far cry from your previous experiences with men. It had always been about their pleasure, not yours. But Heero… Heero had been different. 

A slow smile spread on your face. Who would have thought? 

The first orgasm had been so intense you had almost blacked out from it. The experience had been exhilarating. No man had ever taken you to such heights before. No man had ever touched and kissed your skin in the way Heero had. You idly traced one of the jagged lines along your arm. The scars hadn’t thrown him off. He hadn’t judged you. 

But now that the urgency had cleared away, you felt lost. Your only goal in life had been to die and take Heero Yuy with you. But after this… you couldn’t… You’d have to disappear. You couldn’t stay here, not in Brussels with the elite of Preventer agents searching for you. You could go off the grit, disguise yourself. And come to terms with the fact that Heero Yuy was not the monster you had thought him to be.

The approaching footsteps alerted you and you felt the tension creeping into your shoulders. It wasn’t something you did on purpose, just something ingrained into your system after years of living in dangerous conditions.

“Hey…” Heero’s hand came to rest on your shoulder. “Why are you sitting here?” 

“I couldn’t sleep,” you said softly.

He reached out with his other hand and gently tucked a lock of hair behind your ear. “Come back to bed.” 

You slowly raised your eyes and met his gaze, and found him looking at you with a small smile on his face. The look in his eyes was warm and beckoning, compelling you to take his hand and follow him back to the bedroom. Your knife was still on the floor where you had dropped it earlier. You felt no need to pick it up and keep it with you. It was odd, because you never felt safe without a weapon on your body. 

Heero tugged on your hand and you turned your attention back to him, noticing the questioning look on his face. You let go of his hand and crawled onto the bed, not really knowing how to explain what had gone on in your mind. You settled on your side, so you lay facing him.

“None has ever…” You fell silent, contemplating how to continue. “It’s never been like this before for me.” 

“Hn.” He directed his gaze at the ceiling and looked deep in thought for a while.

“Marcus Holden…” you said, catching his attention again. “You wanted to know about him.” 

“Will you tell me now?” he asked.

You nodded and sat up. You pulled your knees up to your chest and wrapped your arms around them, curling into yourself as you prepared to tell him everything. You needed to sit like this, as if you were holding yourself together. Because in truth you were. The statement you had given to Preventer six years ago had contained just a fraction of what Marcus had truly done to you. And that statement had left you suffering from nightmares for weeks. 

“It would have been better if I had died in the lab,” you said. “But I didn’t. I woke up in an underground hospital and he… he was there. Marcus. He said I was lucky to be alive and that he would take care of me.” 

You were barely aware of Heero anymore and didn’t notice that he sat up to watch you. His eyes flickered dangerously in the dim light, his hands balled into fists in his lap. 

“The operations were complicated and painful, but my body was too strong after J’s experiments. I survived and Marcus took me to L2. It was there that I learned that Marcus planned to have me work for him. His idea of training me was more vicious than anything J ever put us through. I was to take care of his dirty businesses.” 

You closed your eyes as the images flashed vividly before your eyes as you relayed the events to him. People you had killed and tortured for Marcus’ gain, their screams echoing in your head. You took a shuddering breath and ran your hands over your face, as if that could rid you of the memories. 

“I wanted to break away. I tried but he caught me and locked me up in the basement of one of his safe houses, and let some of his cronies have fun with me. They beat me until I was too weak to stand up and I thought I was finally going to die. But then Preventer barged in and got me out.” 

“You worked with Preventer to get him locked up,” Heero said. His voice was rough and you realized that it was anger that made him sound like that. 

“It’s no less than he deserves.” You shifted so you sat facing him. “He made me do horrible things. I would never… Not out of free will. I never found out how he knew about me or the enhanced abilities. To him, my body was just a weapon he could use to get rid of his enemies.” 

“How did you find me?” 

You tried a small smile. “I remembered the digital locations of J’s databases. I hacked into them but found them to be empty. I realized they had been cleared out and dove into the coding. I found a trace and that led me to you.” 

“Holden still has connections everywhere. He’ll send people after you.” 

“I know he will.” You bit down on your bottom lip. “But I won’t let him have his way. I’ll be dead before he gets his hands on me.” 

Heero grasped your hand, his grip compelling you to look up and meet is gaze. He was looking at you with a wildly fierce look in his eyes. “You’re planning to kill yourself?” 

You shrugged. “I was planning to all along.” 

He shook his head. “No.” 

You stared at him in confusion, not understanding what he meant. “The world would be better off with me dead. I won’t let anyone else use and control me in the way Marcus has.” 

-x-x-x-

Heero couldn’t believe what he was hearing. She was planning to die. It was shocking to realize how much alike they were. At age fifteen, he hadn’t really cared about his own life either. He hadn’t expected to survive the wars he fought in, and yet he had managed to pull through. She will still stuck in that mindset.

And he was having none of it.

He had seen the wonder on her face after that first orgasm, the self consciousness that melted away when he had bared her body and hadn’t cared about the scars that covered her. There had been hope for him after the war, and so there would be hope for her now.

“What if I knew a place you could go to?” he asked. “A place where you will be safe?”

She frowned. “What are you talking about?” 

He knew he was taking a gamble here, but he wasn’t going to let her kill herself. He had been given a second chance, so he would make sure she’d get one too. “I have a friend who could hide you.” 

Realization dawned. “Why would you do that?” 

“I don’t think you are the bad person you think you are,” he said. “He will hide you, so you will be safe with him.” 

“I don’t need protecting,” she said in a wry tone.

“Maybe not, but I’ll sleep a lot easier with the knowledge that he will do so if necessary.” 

“It… It could cost you your job.” 

He reached for her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “I don’t care. This is what I can do for you. If you work with me and tell me everything you know about Holden, I’ll make sure he won’t be able to get his hands on you.”

He could practically see the wheels turning in her head. At last, she sighed. “Fine…” 

Heero gave her a small smile and reached out to cup her cheek. “Good.”

He pulled her in and kissed her. Her scent was already branded in his memory, something clean and not too heavily perfumed. He had been tempted to drown himself in it only hours before, and it was tempting him again. 

She’d been right. Hiding her could cost him his job, but he already would lose it if it ever got out that he had slept with her. Fraternizing with the enemy was not something Une would take lightly. But she wouldn’t have to know. None would have to know. 

After all… He had turned her around and from the beginning she hadn’t really posed any danger to Relena. He’d figure out a way to smooth things over. It wouldn’t be easy, considering the evidence that Duo had already accumulated against her, but he would do it. His gut told him to and he trusted his instincts. _Act on your emotions._

There was only one person who understood that, and Heero desperately hoped he would help him. 

And then he could think no more, as she rolled him onto his back and rose above him, scarred skin bathed in moonlight, a battle goddess with her stunning face. The intent look on her face said it all and he blindly gripped her hips. 

“I want to feel like I did before,” she said, her voice low and husky.

It sent his blood roaring in his ears and he gave her a wry smile. “Mission accepted.” 

Her laughter was his undoing. He was so screwed.

And yet, when he woke up the next morning, he felt good. Almost wonderful. He turned over on his back, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, and found her sitting on the bed with her knees drawn up to her chest. Her hair was sleep tousled and tumbled over her shoulders. She had slipped on the T-shirt again, he noticed. 

“Good morning,” he murmured.

She turned her gaze towards him and she seemed lost. “Hey.” 

He reached for her hand and held on to it as he spoke again. “Are you hungry?” 

She bit her lip and nodded. “A little.” 

“Good.” He sat up as well. “Go take a shower. I’ll have breakfast ready soon.” 

He could tell she was utterly confused and decided to give her time. He felt confident enough to leave her alone and head into the kitchen. He no longer thought she was going to attack him. And if she tried, well… His gun in the nightstand drawer wasn’t the only weapon he kept in his apartment. 

He pulled on sweatpants, made a grab for his phone, and left the bedroom, heading into the kitchen to prepare coffee. He checked his phone while the machine did its work, and saw that Wufei had texted him. It was a simple request to call him once he woke up.

Heero sighed. _Fine._ Pushing the dial button, he pressed the phone against his ear and waited for Wufei to pick up.

“Yuy.” 

“You said to call.” 

“Right. I want a meeting on Monday morning.” 

“Sure.” That would give him two days to figure out what to do. He heard footsteps coming from the bedroom and knew he would have to end the call soon. “How’s Sally?” 

“Much better. She doesn’t remember anything from that evening, but so far she seems okay. They’ll be running some tests on her today.” Wufei sounded relieved and Heero was too. 

“Good. I’ll talk to you later.” 

He hung up and turned to find the woman standing behind him. -Y/N-, he reminded himself. She had a name now.

-x-x-x-

“Sally,” you recalled as you pushed your wet hair behind your ears. “She’s the agent that I knocked out.” 

“Yeah…”

You knew that you had done damage, but up until now you hadn’t known how serious it was. “How is she doing?” 

“She woke from her coma during the night.” Heero turned back to the coffee machine and reached for the mug standing under it. He held it out to you. “They’ll be running some tests on her today, but so far she seems okay.” 

“That’s good to know.” You stared into the dark liquid the mug contained. “I know it might sound odd coming from me, but I don’t like killing people.” 

“Hn.” 

“I was blaming you, but I guess that wasn’t fair.” It felt strange to say such words. You had never owed anyone an apology before. The words tasted foreign on your tongue, but you forced yourself to speak. “I’m sorry.” 

“Don’t mention it,” he murmured, while taking the second mug from the coffee machine. 

“I put you in a difficult position,” you said thoughtfully. “How are you going to get rid of the evidence you already have against me?” 

“That’s for me to figure out.” Heero gave you a small smile that bordered on wry. “First, we’re going to make you disappear.” 

“Right…” Your brows drew together as you frowned. “What are you planning?” 

“We’ll drive to Hamburg today.” 

“Hamburg?” 

Heero gave you a smirk. “Yes. So let’s hurry up. We’re going to be busy.” 

After breakfast, Heero drove you to your apartment, where he instructed you to pack your belongings. You gathered your clothes and sparse toiletries, and packed your laptop. You rested your hand on the desktop for a moment. You had already packed the external hard drive, but the desktop was too big to take with you.

“You better destroy this,” you told him.

“I’ll see to it.” 

He argued with you when he saw you gather your weapons. “You won’t be needing those.” 

You gave him a cynical look. “They’re going with me.” 

He narrowed his eyes into a glare. “Why?”

You threw a set of throwing knives into the bag for emphasis. “ **Because**.” 

He growled and reached for the bag, yanking it out of your hands. “Fine.” 

You grabbed the bag containing your clothes, money, and fake passports, and followed him back towards his car. 

“I don’t know this friend of yours,” you told him pointedly as you got into the passenger’s seat. 

He sighed, his shoulders relaxing as the tension left his body. “Right. Sorry.” 

“You’ll go back here and destroy the rest of the evidence?” you asked him. 

He gave a curt nod. 

You held out the apartment’s key to him. “Then you’ll be needing this.” 

He took it and stuffed it into his jacket’s pocket. “Let’s go.” 

**\- End chapter 5 -**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So where will Heero take the reader? Who is the mystery person? Can you tell yet?


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so close to finishing up this story, and I’m so excited to share the rest of the chapters with you! 
> 
> I hope you’ll like this chapter and please let me know what you think of it!
> 
> Disclaimer: I don’t own Gundam Wing, its characters, or you.

**Deadly Intent  
Chapter 6**

Heero hadn’t bothered to inform Trowa that he was visiting. Phone lines could be tapped and he wouldn’t be taking any risk. The fewer people knew the better. Hiding the woman in plain sight was a good plan. None would suspect her to join a traveling circus. Trowa had managed to smuggle a Gundam along with the caravan in the past, so hiding the woman had to be a piece of cake for him. 

“You’ll probably have to dye your hair,” he told her as he took the exit for Hamburg’s city center.

She twined a lock of hair around her finger and gave it a thoughtful look. “Guess so.” 

She’d been awfully silent during the last part of the drive and Heero didn’t know what to make of it. He still wasn’t much of a social creature and he sucked at small talk. Most of the trip had been spend in a rather awkward silence. It was such a stark contrast to the night before, when he’d know what to say. But she had been vulnerable and open then. Now she wasn’t and he could feel the distance between then growing with each mile they travelled. Like a gaping canyon, with no bridge to cross it. 

“You’ll be okay there,” he said, trying for an encouraging tone.

“How come you’re so sure?” she asked, while giving him a cynical look. “You still haven’t told me where you’re taking me.” 

He chuckled. “The circus.” 

“The _what_?” 

“The circus,” he repeated.

During the afternoon the traffic in the city wasn’t so bad. But he best made sure he’d be out of there again before rush hour started. He just hoped he would have enough time to convince Trowa to take her in. 

“My friend,” he started to explain. “He works there. They travel all over the Earth Sphere, so you won’t be in one place for long.” 

“Okay,” she murmured.

“You don’t have to worry about anything. Trowa will understand and he won’t ask questions.” 

“Trowa?” He noticed how recognition flashed in her eyes. “As in Trowa Barton?”

“Not the real one,” he said.

“Yeah, I know. The real one is dead.” 

He quirked a brow at her dry tone. “How did you know?”

The grin that spread on her face was a little mad, but he no longer felt threatened by it. Not after discovering how she looked while being lost in pleasure. At least she was talking now.

“I did my research.”

“I bet you did.” 

Her grin widened. “So how is he managing civilian life while sticking out like a sore thumb with a dead man’s name?” 

“Mine is a dead man’s name too.” 

She snorted. “Right.” 

“Nowadays, those names are legalized for us,” he said with a shrug. “It comes with a real passport and all.” 

He noticed the almost wistful look in her eyes as he parked the car on the field that made up the circus grounds, and could imagine what she was thinking. She wanted that for herself too. It was the kind of recognition she craved. 

“Do you think… Could that be possible for me too one day?” 

He gave her a small smile and reached out to touch her cheek. “Who knows.” 

-x-x-x-

The field was abuzz with activity, people running from one tent to another, while others tended to animals, or hauled crates and stage props. The amount of people made the hairs on the back of your neck rise. There were too many of them crowding the perimeter. How were you supposed to relax in this crowd?

You followed Heero to a group of campers and trailers that were parked along the edge of the field, uncomfortably aware that you weren’t carrying any weapons on you, except for the little knife strapped to your ankle. Your body was a weapon, but with so many people surrounding you, you felt safer with a gun on you. More secure and grounded.

Heero seemed comfortable enough, waving in greeting to some people that seemed to recognize him. Among them was a gorgeous woman with brown curls and blue eyes. She didn’t seem particularly hostile when she approached him, but something in her body language told you she was on her guard. 

“Heero,” she greeted him. “What brings you here?” 

“Catherine.” Heero gave her a curt nod. “I’m looking for Trowa.” 

“He’s in there.” She pointed towards one of the trailers with her thumb, and turned her attention towards you. You could practically see the warning bells go off in her head. _Trouble_. Well, she got that right, didn’t she? “And who is this?” 

Heero reached for your wrist and tugged you along. “I’ll introduce her later.” 

You wordlessly followed him and swallowed thickly as you felt Catherine’s stare burn on your back. One thing was clear already. She didn’t like you.

“Is she always this perky?” you asked Heero.

He gave you a wry look. “She’ll come around.” 

You reached the trailer and Heero rapped his knuckles on the open door. “Trowa?” 

“Heero?” The voice that came drifting out was quiet, but coated with a hint of surprise. 

The next moment a tall silhouette appeared in the doorway. 

Trowa Barton definitely made quite a sight, you thought as he stepped outside, pulling on a shirt as he went. You caught a glimpse of well developed muscles, pale skin, and a scattering of tattoos and scars on his chest and abs before the grey fabric came to cover it. The jeans were tight, with rips at the knees, and he was barefoot. On the picture you had seen of him in the Preventer database, his brown hair had covered one side of his face, but he didn’t look anything like that now. His hair was styled back from his face in a modern pompadour and his jawline was covered by a well formed red beard. As he stepped outside, the sunlight played over his skin, emphasizing the surprisingly charming dash of freckles on his face and the copper streaks in his hair. 

Piercing green eyes gave you an assessing once over, before he turned his attention to Heero. “What are you doing here?” 

“I have a bit of a situation on my hands,” Heero said. 

“I can see that,” came the dry reply. 

He extended his hand towards you. You could only stare at the long elegant fingers, and the strange black symbols that marked them. More ink covered his arm, a knife and a gun, a clown mask on a well formed bicep. 

“Shy, are you?” he remarked.

You broke out of your stupor and firmly shook is hand, which was rough with calluses. “-Y/N-.” 

“Trowa.” 

“-Y/N- needs a place to stay,” Heero said. 

Trowa raised an eyebrow. “Come inside.”

You stepped inside the trailer, taking stock of the narrow space. He kept a couple of thriving plants and succulents on a table by the window, but other than that, the caravan was surprisingly bare of personal belongings. 

“Coffee?” Trowa inquired.

“Sure.” 

Heero sat down at the table and tugged on your wrist, prompting you to slide onto the bench as well. Trowa busied himself preparing coffee, and when he came to carry three mugs to the table, his piercing gaze landed on you.

“A place to stay, huh?” He sat down on the bench opposite you. “Why?” 

You gave him a cool look. “Does it matter?” 

“Guess not.” He casually sipped his coffee. “But if you’re staying here, you’ll need to make yourself useful. We don’t take in strays.” 

You pursed your lips. “I am an excellent seamstress.” 

“Got any examples?” 

“I could show you.” 

Your tone took on a dangerous edge, and Trowa immediately picked up on that. His broad shoulders squared just a bit underneath the grey t-shirt, but it was enough for you to see he was put on guard by your tone of voice. You daringly met his eyes over the rim of your mug, causing his eyes to narrow. 

“Sure,” was all he said.

-x-x-x-

Heero watched the exchange with growing amusement. You were letting some of the danger filter through, and it was obvious that Trowa picked up on that. Of course he would. You carried yourself in the same manner as they themselves did.

“Can she stay with you?” he asked his friend.

Trowa leaned back in his seat. “Sure.” 

Heero reached into is pocket and pulled out his car keys, holding them up for you to see. “Want to go and get your things?”

“How can you be so sure I won’t steal your car and disappear with it?” you asked him.

Heero smirked. “My car is tracked. You won’t be able to outrun both of us.” 

There was the mad grin again. You slid out of the seat, all grace and danger and wordlessly left the trailer.

“Who is she?” Trowa asked, once you were out of earshot. 

“The shooter from the Christmas ball.” 

Trowa raised an eyebrow, his lips curling into a half smile. “Well, well…” 

“We have a history. It’s complicated.” Heero gave a shrug. “You’ll take care of her for me?” 

Trowa gave a curt nod. 

“She needs to hide well. Preventer still has warrants out for her arrest.” 

“You’re gonna take care of that?” 

“Yeah.” Heero heaved a sigh. “Thanks. I owe you one.” 

“You owe me several by now,” Trowa muttered into his mug. 

Heero snorted and shook his head. “She has more than enough fake passports on her and knows how to avoid camera’s. I don’t expect there to be much trouble.”

“Unless we head for Outer Space.” 

“I plan to be rid of the warrants by then.” 

Footsteps approached, and the next moment you stepped into the trailer, bags in hand. You dropped them on the floor and Heero could tell that Trowa didn’t miss the distinct clang of the weapons in one of the bags. 

“Not planning to murder me in my sleep, are you?” he asked dryly.

Your eyes sparked with defiance. “I find that you Gundam Pilots are hard to kill.” 

Trowa snorted with laughter and gave Heero a telling look. “So you know about that.” 

You clucked your tongue. “Of course.” 

Heero finished his coffee and got up. “I’ll get going then.” 

He clapped Trowa on the shoulder and left the trailer, noticing you followed him in his footsteps. He halted and turned towards you, giving you a small smile. “You’ll be okay here.” 

You shrugged, looking rather uncertain. “I’ll try.” 

“Good.” 

“Will I see you again?” 

The question held a hint of hope, and he found himself reaching for you, unable to resist. He rested a hand on your shoulder, squeezing gently. “Yes.” 

“Good.” The uncertainty left your eyes, and you managed a small, timid tilt of your lips. “Thank you.” 

“Don’t go causing any trouble here.” 

“I won’t.” 

“Good.” He leaned in and pressed his lips against your forehead. “Get a new phone and ask Trowa for my number.” 

You nodded and stepped back. “See you.” 

He gave you a nod and resumed his way. When he got into his car he noticed you were still standing in front of the trailer. He raised his hand in a wave, saw you hesitate and wave back. 

The worry in his gut settled. _Yeah, she’d be fine here,_ he thought. 

Now, he’d just have to figure out how to get rid of all the information they’d accumulated. He’d have to tell Wufei and Duo to lay off and that was going to cause trouble, not to mention the frying Une would give him once she found out. Not something he looked forward to. But he’d do it. He’d gone this far, so the rest had to happen as well. 

He started the car and drove off, leaving you staring after him long after he was out of sight. 

**\- End chapter 6 -**


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So many updates, so little time, LOL.  
> Enjoy!
> 
> Disclaimer: I don’t own Gundam Wing, it’s characters, or you.

**Deadly Intent  
Chapter 7**

From a young age Trowa had learned to observe. As a part of a group of mercenaries in his early teens, observation had taught him much more than asking questions. It had taught him to see people’s motives, taught him who to avoid and who to trust. It had saved his life on multiple occasions, allowing him to escape the clutches of unforeseen enemies. 

So when Heero showed up unexpectedly, a beautiful and undoubtably dangerous woman in his wake, Trowa didn’t ask questions. He just sat back and observed. 

It was obvious she was uncomfortable, but the determined set of her shoulders told him she didn’t want to let that show. She and Heero seemed to have some sort of unconscious understanding. The way Heero reacted to her, told Trowa one thing: they were lovers. The novelty of that bond was apparent in the way they seemed a bit out of tune. The woman was a little awkward, not knowing how to act, masking it with a sharp tone and bravado.

The way she held herself told Trowa that next to dangerous, she also was unsure. That would make her unpredictable. And _very_ interesting. 

He waited until Heero had left before getting up to head outside. She was standing on the spot where Heero had left her, staring off into the distance. Trowa stepped into a pair of sneakers and set out to investigate. 

She spoke up when he approached her, not turning around. “You can’t sneak up on me.” 

“I figured as much,” he said simply as he came to a halt beside her. 

She had pressed her lips into a thin line and the expression on her face was cool. She was trying, very hard, not to show how she was feeling. 

“So… You had some examples of your sewing work that you were to show me?” he casually inquired.

“The dress I wore to the Christmas ball was altered,” she said.

Trowa clucked his tongue. “I wasn’t there.”

“I’ve got some things in my bag…” She turned towards him, and her expression cooled even more all of a sudden.

Trowa heard footsteps approach, and the footfalls told him it was Catherine. The woman turned around at the sound of her footsteps and narrowed her gaze. 

“Did Heero leave?” Catherine asked as she reached him. 

Trowa gave a curt nod in answer.

Catherine’s gaze flitted towards the woman. “And you’re still here.” 

“-Y/N- will be staying with me,” Trowa said. 

“Oh?” Catherine inquired, her eyes narrowing even more with suspicion. 

“I plan to help out,” the woman said in a cool tone that bordered on clipped. 

Catherine raised an eyebrow and turned her gaze towards Trowa. Trowa only held up his hands as if to say _‘It’s my decision.’_ He wasn’t going to give Catherine all the details. 

Catherine held out a hand, her arm stiff with tension. “I’m Catherine.”

The woman firmly shook her hand. “-Y/N-.” 

“-Y/N- says she’s a good seamstress.” 

“That so?” Catherine questioned.

“Yes. I was gonna show Trowa some examples. You’re welcome to see them too.”

Trowa turned back towards his trailer and heard the women fall in step behind him. No further words were exchanged between them and he could practically feel the tension mount between them in waves. He understood Catherine’s distrust. She still was, even years after the war, fiercely protective of him. Alongside that the circus crew always took a while to warm up to newcomers. Given the fact that the woman Heero had dropped on his doorstep wasn’t a social creature, it would take time for her to get accepted. It wasn’t going to be easy for her. Even if she could make costumes like a pro.

But Trowa had promised Heero, so he was going to do his best to make sure she would blend in. And he would start with winning his sister over. 

But Catherine proved determined in her distrust, because she grabbed Trowa’s arm before he could head into his trailer. She directed an icy smile at the woman and her voice dripped with acid when she spoke. “I have something to discuss with my brother.” 

Trowa shrugged his shoulders. “Alright. I’ll be right in.” 

The woman disappeared inside without a word and Trowa turned towards Catherine. She immediately pounced and rapidly launched into a tirade. “What the **hell** were you thinking? You weren’t thinking, were you?”

“Heero asked me to take her in.” 

“Heero never has the brightest ideas, has he?” she snapped.

“She needs a place to stay.” 

“You mean a place to hide,” Catherine bit out. 

“Cathy…” Trowa rested a hand on her shoulder. “I know what I’m doing.” 

“Are you? What if she tries to kill you in your sleep?” 

Trowa raised an eyebrow. “None’s ever succeeded in that before.” 

Catherine’s nostrils flared and her eyes narrowed. “Not funny, Trowa.”  
He felt his lips twitch. “Trust me.” 

“I do.” She sighed. “It’s just that I don’t trust her.” 

“We’ll give her a chance. Let’s see what she’s got to show us.” 

Catherine sighed again and plastered on a smile. “Fine.” 

-x-x-x-

You could hear them bickering outside, but their voices were too low to make out what they were saying. You grumbled to yourself as you yanked out the clothes that you had altered from your bag. Of course they were bickering. Catherine thought you were trouble with a capital T. And you were, you thought with a little grin forming on your face. Big trouble.

Truth to be told, you had no idea what you were doing here. You would be better off dead, but Heero seemed to think otherwise. Your thoughts drifted back to him, to the night before and the way he had made you feel. _Alive, desired, wanted. Beautiful…_

Those feelings, they had sparked something inside of you. You wanted to feel like that again, wanted him to make you feel like that again. So you’d have to do your best and figure out a way to survive here. That would be your only chance to see Heero again, wasn’t it?

You heard footsteps coming up the steps to the trailer, and your shoulders tensed involuntarily. 

“It’s only us,” Trowa said as he stepped inside.

“I know,” you said while willfully relaxing your shoulders again. “Old habits.” 

Trowa sat down on the sofa and he gave you what seemed to be an attempt at a small smile. “I know all about them.” 

“Guess so…” You made a gesture to the clothes you had selected and directed your gaze at Catherine. “I have some examples of my sewing work here.” 

The hostility didn’t show in her eyes, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t there. But she stepped closer and reached out to one of the dresses you had put on the table. “May I?” 

You nodded your consent and she picked up the dress. She unfolded it and studied the fabric and the seams. “This is… really good.” 

“Thank you,” you forced yourself to say. 

“I’m impressed with the way you worked with the lace.” She let the red flimsy fabric slide through her fingers, obviously trying to imagine how it would look on you. 

It was one of the dresses you had made by yourself entirely, made of a bright red fabric and covered in lace of the same color. It had a high collar and tight fitted sleeves, a tight bodice and a long, flaring skirt that would reach all the way to the floor. You had never worn it though. It covered your scars, but was impractical with the life you lived.

But maybe now… A woman was allowed to indulge, wasn’t she? 

Catherine carefully folded up the dress and put it back down on the pile. “Come to my trailer tomorrow. You can help out with the costumes.” 

She turned on her heel and promptly left the trailer. 

You turned your head to look at Trowa once she was gone. “Okay…” 

“You’ve got a job.” Trowa got up from his seat and walked over to one of the doors at the end of the room. He opened it and you saw that it gave way to a bedroom. “You can sleep here.” 

You gathered your bags and got up to drag them into the room. 

“Feel free to decorate it in any way that you like,” he said as you let your gaze wander around.

The room was small, and the bed made with simple white linens. There was a closet in one corner, and the smallest desk you had ever seen stood under the window. But it would suffice. You hoisted your bags onto the bed and Trowa left you alone so you could unpack. There wasn’t much anyway and you were done before long, and settled down on the bed.

You lay back and closed your eyes, trying to relax. Your body sunk into the mattress and for one tiny moment no thoughts occupied your mind. And then the chaos came back to whirl around again. You breathed deeply, trying to make sense of it all. Yesterday, around this time you had been chained to Heero’s kitchen radiator. In the span of twenty four hours so much had changed and you could barely grasp onto the meaning of it all. Before you had had a goal, but now… were you supposed to just exist?

What was your purpose now? 

You opened your eyes at the knock on your door. Trowa opened the door and stepped in. “I’m heading into the city to pick up some groceries. Want to join me?” 

“Do I have much of a choice?” you questioned.

“I figured you’d need some stuff.” His tone left no room for argument. He was not letting you out of his sight, that much was clear.

You sat up with a sigh. “Alright. I’ll be out in a minute.” 

He left your room and you heard him rummaging around in the living area. You got up and grabbed a small backpack, stuffing in a roll of cash and a knife. You slipped a gun into the waistband of your pants and made sure it was hidden under your jacket before stepping out of the room. Trowa might not let you out of his sight, but that didn’t mean you would go down without a fight if he tried to stop you from running away.

-x-x-x-

“Yuy! My office. NOW.”

Heero was not given time to reply to Wufei’s barking down the line, because as soon as he opened his mouth Wufei hung up on him. He put down his phone and got up from his office chair, knowing that shit was about to hit the fan.

Wufei had found out that Heero had gotten rid of the evidence. 

He had not just gotten rid of it. He had made sure that any traces leading back to the woman came up empty. Duo knew names he had gotten out of Marcus Holden’s forfeiter, but he wouldn’t be able to put them back into the system. 

Heero made his way into Wufei’s office and found Duo lounging in one of the chairs in front his desk. But despite his relaxed appearance, the look in Duo’s eyes was steel. Wufei shut the door after him and stalked over to his desk.

“You have some explaining to do,” he bit out icily.

Heero didn’t sit down and crossed his arms in front of his chest. “I took care of the problem.” 

“Did you now? You call deleting all info taking care of the problem?” 

Heero scoffed. “She won’t bother us any longer.” 

Duo’s gaze narrowed. “What did you do?” 

Wufei scoffed. “Une is gonna fry you when she hears about this.” 

“Then she can fry me.” 

Duo jolted up from his seat and leaned in to look Heero squarely in the eye. “This isn’t like you, Heero. What happened?” 

“None of your business. All you need to know is that I took care of it.” 

Duo snarled. “You fucked her.”

Wufei stiffened in his seat, and his glare turned murderous. “Is this true?” 

“What if it is?” 

“Christ, Heero! You’re toast, man!” Duo exclaimed. “You might as well offer your dick up as evidence because you fucking blocked us from putting any info on her back in the system.” 

“She put my partner in the hospital!” Wufei raged. “Or did you forget about that?” 

“Of course not,” Heero said. “But she is owning up to her mistakes.” 

“Is she now?” Wufei hissed. “Is she really?”

“She no longer is a problem,” Heero insisted. “Do whatever you must do, but you won’t get your hands on her.” 

“Fine,” Wufei huffed. “We’ll see what you’ll have to say when I report this to Une.”

Heero turned around and left Wufei’s office. Duo was hot on his heels and grabbed his shoulder to stop him once they were in the hallway.

“Why?” Duo asked. “Why would you go through all this trouble, Heero? It can cost you your job.” 

“I know.” Heero shrugged. “But do you really think Une will fire me?” 

They both knew the answer to that. Une would rather die than lose sight of the former Gundam Pilots. It didn’t mean Heero’s actions wouldn’t hold any repercussions for him. But he’d face them.

“I had to do this.”

“And once again I ask why.” 

“Because she’s not really the enemy,” Heero said. “And she deserves a second chance.” 

Duo scoffed. “Tell that to Sally.” 

“Sally is alive and as far as we know she is going to make a full recovery,” Heero deadpanned. “We all got second chances. Why shouldn’t -Y/N- get one too?” 

Duo glowered at him. “She’s gotten into your head.” 

“Maybe.” Heero gave his friend a small smirk. “But she is like us, Duo. Very much like us.” 

And with those words he left his friend standing in the hallway. He hoped his friends would understand his motive some day. For now he had to prepare to face Une. 

**\- End chapter 7 -**


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m nearly finished with writing this story, so you can expect updates to happen more often from now on! I’ve got two more chapters left to go! :)
> 
> Disclaimer: I don’t own Gundam Wing, its characters, or you.

**Deadly Intent  
Chapter 8**

You ventured towards Catherine’s trailer where she lived with her husband with lead in your shoes. Not even the gun tucked in the waistband of your jeans eased the dread you felt over facing Trowa’s malevolent sister. Catherine did not bother to hide the fact that she didn’t like you and preferred you as far from the circus grounds as possible. 

You had tried to be good the day before, when Trowa had taken you over to her place so you could help out with the costumes under his watchful gaze. After two nights of not being murdered in his sleep in a row, he apparently trusted you enough to go around by yourself. 

“I’m here,” you announced coolly once you reached the trailer.

The door was open and Catherine peeked out, her expression souring once she noticed it was you. “Come in.” 

You stepped inside and found rolls of fabric waiting for you on the dining table. 

“We’ll have some of the acrobats over today. We have two months to make them costumes for their new act,” Catherine said while sitting down.

You reached out and trailed a finger over one of the fabric rolls, nylon by the feel of it. The color was a bright, vibrant red. 

“Okay…” You touched another roll, also nylon but this time in a gorgeous midnight blue. 

Catherine slammed a notebook down on the table. “I made some primary sketches.” 

You narrowed your eyes at her cold tone and sat down opposite her. “Let’s see.” 

You worked for some time, uncomfortable silence mixed with cool conversation. You made changes to the sketches that Catherine begrudgingly agreed too, and then waited for the acrobats to arrive.

Your eyebrows rose in question when Trowa stepped into the trailer. 

“You’re an acrobat?” you asked.

“Yes,” he said easily, amusement coating his tone at your obvious surprise. “When I’m not playing target for Catherine’s knives.” 

“You’re a knife thrower?” That bit of information didn’t surprise you in the least. With that sour personality she had to have deadly accurate aim. 

“Yes,” Catherine said. “Come stand over here, Trowa. I’ll take your measurements.” 

“I’m good with knives myself,” you said casually. 

“Are you know?” Catherine didn’t sound the least bit interested.

“Heero should count himself lucky he is still walking.” 

Trowa’s eyes flashed with amusement, but Catherine threw you a dirty look, clearly not appreciating your attempt at humor. You figured she wouldn’t warm to you anytime soon. 

You dutifully wrote down the measurements that Catherine rattled up and went to hold the blue fabric up next to Trowa’s face. “This will look good on you.” 

“Hmm…” Catherine stepped closer as well. “You’re right.” 

“So it’s blue for you.” You noted that down as well and plopped down at the table again. 

You were getting bored and so far you had only taken the measurements of one person. Trowa left the trailer and the afternoon dragged on. Catherine pinned you with a frosty glare when the last man had left. All of them had been curious about you, you could tell. Trowa had yet to officially introduce you to the circus troupe as he had wanted to give you a few days to settle in. The men’s interest had obviously irked Catherine and now she looked ready to tear your head off.

“I don’t like you,” she said pointedly. “People like you mean trouble.” 

“People like me?” you questioned with a cold smile curling your lips. “You might be right about that.” 

“Just who are you anyway?” 

You rose from your seat and sauntered over to the door, graceful as a cat. The movements of your body let her know exactly how much trouble you could be. And how deadly. You halted in the doorway and glanced back at her, pinning her with that cold, dead look in your eyes.

“I’m nobody,” you said. “Don’t go prying because you won’t like what you’ll find.” 

“You cause Trowa any trouble and you’re out.” 

You stepped outside, your stomach churning. You didn’t want to be angry, didn’t want to let her petty comments get to your head. But the rage boiled anyway. You stormed off towards Trowa’s trailer. He just stepped outside as you reached it and had to take only one look at your face to know how you were feeling.

“Come on,” he said while gesturing for you to follow him. 

“No,” you bit out and tried to move past him.

He grabbed your wrist, his hand shackling around it in a way that told you it wouldn’t be easy to break away from him. “That wasn’t a request.” 

“Fuck you,” you seethed. 

“Have it your way then.” 

You had barely enough time to duck as he swung a fist at your face. You swore and rammed your shoulder into his side, trying to knock him off balance. He practically danced out of your reach and turned swiftly to aim a kick at your stomach. You gritted your teeth and jumped back, realizing he would be more difficult to fight than Heero. Heero was fast and strong, but Trowa was agile. 

He rolled his shoulders, lips twitching into a resemblance of a feral grin. “I can keep at this for a while.” 

You snarled and attacked, knowing damn well you were rising to his bait but unable to stop yourself. 

-x-x-x-

Heero knew he was in deep shit when he was called into Une’s office. He had expected her outrage at his actions, but he had been confident that he would walk out of her office and still have a job. But to his utter shock, Une delivered in a clipped tone that he had been fired.

 _Fired._

He was ordered to leave the premises immediately and not to return. 

Seething, he stalked down the hallway to his office and started gathering his belongings. Duo popped up in the doorway when he heard the doors of cabinets slamming in Heero’s office and gazed at Heero with wide, shocked eyes.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“What does it look like?” Heero snapped. 

“No.” Duo shook his head in denial. “She fired you?” 

“My actions put the agency in jeopardy.” 

“Well…” Duo shrugged his shoulders. “I can’t fault her for that.” 

Heero glared at his friend. “Like you give a fuck about protocol.” 

Duo held up his hands in defense. “I know what lines not to cross.” 

Heero rolled his eyes and resumed packing. Considering he never kept much personal objects in his office he was done rather quickly. He slammed the lid on the box and shouldered past Duo into the hallway, leaving the keys to his office on the desk.

“What will you do now?” Duo asked. 

“I don’t know.” 

Duo gave a sigh. “You could just… turn her in.” 

Heero glared at him. “And what kind of person would that make me?” 

“One with a job.” 

“And one without a conscience.” Heero continued on his way, determined to get out of the building as fast as possible. No way he was staying there.

He knew Duo would try to reason with him, Wufei too when he got over his anger. But in this case, he couldn’t be swayed.

“I really do hope this bitch is worth it.” 

Heero gritted his teeth and forced his feet to keep moving. Duo was pissed and as usual his mouth engaged before his brain did. He would not punch his friend for his remark. 

He took the stairs down to the parking garage and got into his car, driving straight to Relena’s office.

She was surprised to see him there obviously, and even more surprised at his angry demeanor. Heero was a hotheaded guy, but he was usually very skilled at keeping his temper hidden from the woman he respected above anyone else.

“What’s bothering you?” Relena got up and closed the door to her office. “Here, sit down.” 

But Heero was too restless to sit, and continued prowling up and down her office. “Une fired me.”

“She… Wait, what?” Relena promptly planted her bottom on the edge of her desk, shock making her eyes widen. “Why would she do that?” 

Heero raked his hands through his hair. “It’s complicated.” 

Relena leaned over her desk and pushed the button on her intercom. “Janine? Cancel all my appointments for this afternoon.” 

She straightened again. “I have time.” 

“The shooter from the Christmas ball,” Heero began. “She wasn’t aiming for you.” 

“She wasn’t?” 

“No.” Heero stopped pacing an turned to look at Relena. It always calmed him to look at her, but now he found himself unable to reach for that tranquility. “She was aiming for me.” 

Relena gestured towards the chair in front of her desk. With a sigh, Heero caved and went over to her. He resigned himself to his fate. 

“We were investigating her. She broke into my apartment on Friday.”

“Is that when you got this?” she gently tapped his jaw, indicating the fading bruise that he tried to hide with a few days growth of beard. 

“Yes. She… She is much like me.” Heero shook his head and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “I got through to her and made sure she has another chance to start over. I deleted all the info we had on her from the database.” 

“Is this woman still a thread to you?” 

“No.” 

“Well…” Relena rested a hand on his shoulder. “I do say your methods are unconventional but if your instincts told you to act like this I cannot fault you for that.”

Heero felt the tension slide off of him. He’d known Relena would understand. She always did.

“Here’s what you’re gonna do,” she said in that pragmatic tone of hers. “You’re gonna go to the chamber of commerce and register yourself as a freelance bodyguard. I’m hiring you on the spot.” 

“I don’t need your charity.” 

“But you’ll accept it anyway,” she bulldozed right over him. “I won’t accept no for an answer.” 

“Thanks, Relena.” 

Her smile was warm. “You’re welcome.” 

-x-x-x-

Trowa tried to keep the amusement out of his gaze as he watched you nurse your sprained wrist. The anger was gone from your face and the tension from your shoulders. Despite the hour it had taken to work of your rage, your movements were fluid and rather graceful as you wrapped a bandage around your wrist to stabilize it. 

Catherine probably wouldn’t be too happy about the injury, but Trowa found that he couldn’t care less. It had been intriguing to fight you. He occasionally sparred with his friends, and although Heero came close, none had ever fought him so viciously as you had. It was no wonder that Heero was fascinated by you.

It had to be a kick to fuck a killing machine like that and walk away unscathed.

“Here, let me help.” Trowa reached for the end of the bandage and secured it for you.

The stubborn set of your jaw told him you weren’t happy with his interference. Trowa found himself fighting the amused smile that wanted to spread on his face. 

“After dinner we have our weekly meeting,” he said. “I’ll introduce you to everyone then.” 

“Great,” you said tonelessly, while flexing your hand to test the bandage.

“You better give that some rest.” 

You snorted. “I don’t need you to doctor me.”

You were much like Heero, he mused. Total disregard for your own body. During the fight you had taken quite a few punches and kicks, not stopping to assess the damage. And given the fact that you had fought him like a lion, Trowa hadn’t bothered to hold back. 

He was not going to feel guilty about it.

“Actually, you do.” Trowa leaned his hip against the table and crossed his arms in front of his chest. “Someone has to tell you to take better care of yourself.” 

Your eyes narrowed into angry slits, glaring at him through your bangs in a silence that belied your hostile posture. 

“Heero’s not going to like it when he finds out what happened.” 

Your expression sobered and he heard your breath leave your lungs in a rush. “I was angry.” 

“So we have to work on that.”

You bit your lip and nodded. “Yeah… I need to… to work out, go running.”

He reached out and tapped the bandage around your wrist. “As soon as this is healed.” 

“Fine.” Your shoulders slumped. “Do you expect an apology?” 

“For what?” He couldn’t stop the surprise from coating his tone. “I took a swing at you first remember?” 

“Yeah… Guess you did.” 

“No harm done.” He gave a casual shrug and pushed away from the table. “I’m gonna start on dinner.” 

**\- End Chapter 8 -**


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy! :)
> 
> Disclaimer: I don’t own Gundam Wing, its characters, or you!

**Deadly Intent  
Chapter 9**

Trowa’s introduction of you to the rest of the circus troupe didn’t mean your life was uncomplicated now. You became the subject of curious stares and quiet whispers. It agitated you. Too often you found your instincts telling you to lash out, to eliminate the thread those whispers seemed to be. But you had promised to behave, so you endured. The men were easier in their approach of you, the women were tentative. You suspected that Catherine’s wariness of you had something to do with that. You didn’t think she gossiped about you, but since the other women didn’t see her hanging out with you, they steered clear of you as well. 

Even so, you went through your days and slowly got used to the quiet life. It was mundane, sometimes downright boring, but in the evenings you thrived. Trowa proved true to his word and took you off the circus grounds for long runs after the evening shows. The runs helped. Your mind calmed, you felt less agitated and restless as you raced through parks under the night sky, chased only by your own shadows. 

You endlessly made and mended costumes, and worked alongside Catherine in silence.

One time, when the circus settled in a rural town in Northern France, Heero came to visit you. You had been working in the back stage area of the big tent, checking costumes to make sure that all was in order for the evening show when he came walking in.

No words were needed as he yanked you towards him and captured your mouth in a hungry kiss. Your body had a mind of its own, careening into his, while your mind still struggled to understand that he was kissing you. You had missed the feelings he was able to evoke in you, you realized as you pulled him back in the direction of a dark corner behind some crates. 

His arms where like steel beams around your waist, easily lifting you up and setting you down on a crate, and you eagerly wrapped your legs around his waist, while your hands buried in his thick hair. His kiss was urgent, nearly robbing you of breath and you struggled to keep up with him as his fingers found the fastening of your pants. 

It was fast, almost rough, his eyes dark and compelling in the shadows as he took you with a force that nearly made your eyes roll back in your head. _Yes, yes…_ You had needed the reminder that you could handle this, his strength. That you weren’t the obedient woman you pretended to be here. 

Afterwards you slumped against him, your head on his shoulder, as your heart beat slowly returned to normal. You allowed yourself to drift for a moment, allowed yourself a tiny respite from the constant need to be alert.

“Hi,” you whispered with a lazy smile. 

“Hey.” he nuzzled your hair and gently ran his hands up and down your back. “How’s life here?” 

“You usually ask that question before the deed, you know,” you chastised with a dry tone.

“I was a little occupied,” he countered while cupping your cheeks and tipping your head back. He pressed a lingering kiss against your lips. “So… Answer my question.” 

You gave a casual shrug. “It’s okay I guess…” 

“Trowa takes good care of you?” 

“Hmm…” 

Him mentioning Trowa made a sliver of guilt curl in your stomach. And that was odd, because you were free to make your own choices. But even so… 

You cleared your throat and shook off the feeling, nudging Heero back so you could straighten your clothing. 

“So how have you been doing?” you questioned as you hopped off the crate. 

You were wildly curious, because Heero was notoriously obscure in the text messages you exchanged on a weekly basis. You had heard from Trowa that in protecting you, Heero had lost his job at Preventer, and that Relena Darlian had hired him on the spot, much to the Preventer Commander’s chagrin. 

“Good,” he said matter-of-factly. “The job is the same, just a better paycheck.” 

You snorted. “As if you need more money. How much did Preventer have to pay you in order for them to keep the software packages you designed for them?” 

He smirked. “A lot.” 

“Bet that irked the commander even more.” 

“It’s safe to say I’m steering clear of her.” 

You raised an eyebrow. “You scared of her?” 

“Commander Lady Une is not someone you should mess with,” he said. “She and us pilots have quite the history.” 

“I know.” You led the way out of the tent and across the field towards the trailers. You noticed how he hesitated. “What? Don’t wanna see Trowa?” 

“I shouldn’t be around for too long,” he said.

“Why?” 

Heero shook his head and grabbed your arm, gently pulling you to a halt. “I came here for you.” 

“Okay,” you said simply.

“I’ll be back some other time,” he promised while pulling you in for a hug. 

You slipped your arms around his waist, even though you felt as if a bucket of ice had been poured over you. You didn’t like that he didn’t stay. _But he got what he came for didn’t he?_ you thought bitterly. You were quick to kill that thought though. You had had a choice in the matter. 

He pressed a kiss against your temple and stepped back. “See you soon, okay?” 

“Sure,” you said vaguely, and turned away from him to resume your way.

Anger boiled in your stomach and made your cheeks flame with heat. Your whole demeanor changed. In one second you had turned back into the prowling killing machine. You were damn glad that Trowa wasn’t in the trailer when you slammed the door open. 

You retreated to your room and locked yourself up in there, knowing it was safer for the people around you if you hid away for a while. 

-x-x-x-

When Trowa returned from the evening show, he knew something was definitely off. You had disappeared during the afternoon and a quick check had told him you had locked yourself up in your room. He had decided to give you some time, leaving your dinner in the fridge, but he found it untouched upon his return. 

He frowned and stalked over to your room and knocked on the door. “-Y/N-?” 

“Go away.” 

Your cold tone made him raise an eyebrow. It had been a while since you had spoken to him in that way. The past few weeks he had seen you make progress, but it seemed you were having a bad spell, reverting back to your old ways. 

“Are you okay?” he asked. No answer came and he knocked on the door again. “Hey. Come on out and talk to me.” 

He heard your quiet footsteps - his hearing was more than excellent, so there was no way you could slink around him - and the next moment the door flew open. Your hair was tangled around your face, and your eyes bloodshot. They gazed back at him with that dead glint he had seen in them on your first day here, and it made his blood run cold. 

“What’s going on?” he asked. 

“Nothing.” There was no emotion whatsoever in your voice as you spoke. 

He reached out and rested a hand on your shoulder, concern making a frown appear on his face. “It’s quite nice out. Come sit outside for a while.” 

You ducked your head. “I need to shower first.” 

“Okay. I’ll fix you some tea in the meantime.” 

You darted around him, body rigid with tension. Even so, you still moved quickly and with a preciseness that belied your state of mind. You disappeared into the small bathroom and slammed the door behind you.

Trowa went to work, knowing his questions would have to wait, and prepared tea and coffee. During your first week at the circus he had discovered that coffee made you restless. He had subtly made you drink tea during the evenings, so you could sleep undisturbed. He had recognized the signs of broken nights, had heard the sounds of your nightmares through the thin walls, and knew you would refuse his help if he offered it blatantly. 

The switch to tea seemed to help a bit. But he doubted you would sleep undisturbed through the upcoming night. The look on your face had been haunted, as if a ghost had caught up with you. 

He poured the water into a pot and dropped the teabag in to let it steep. 

Your cursing reached his ears before the bathroom door slammed open. “Don’t look!” 

“Wha-”

His first instinct had been to look at you as you stormed through the trailer in the direction of your bedroom, but then he realized that you were only clad in a towel. He quickly averted his eyes, respecting the privacy you asked for, but he had already seen what you had wanted to hide…

He swallowed thickly and clamped his hands around the edge of the counter, trying to process the image that was now stuck in his mind. It was no wonder that you always wore clothes that covered your body from head to toe. What the hell had happened to you? 

The scars were so prominent it was obvious that you had been on the verge of death and had lacked the right medical care during your recovery. Or the person taking care of you hadn’t cared much. 

He made a grab for his phone and texted Heero. _What the fuck happened to her, man?_

It didn’t take long for Heero to reply. _What? Is -Y/N- hurt? She seemed fine when I left this afternoon._

**What. The. Actual. Fuck.**

Like pieces of a puzzle, things started to fall into place. Trowa picked up the tray he had been preparing and carried it outside, because he was in desperate need of some fresh air. 

Heero had been here this afternoon. And he has sneaked off again like a thief in the night, leaving you in an obviously frail mental state. And Trowa was left to pick up after him. He tried to tamper the flare of anger. He usually had a tight control on his temper, and rarely lost control of it. He wasn’t going to start now. 

_Never mind,_ he texted back. _She’s fine._

He leaned back in his seat and waited for you to come out and join him.

When you did, you were obviously uncomfortable, biting your lower lip as you sank down next to him on the little bench. He wordlessly offered you the mug of tea.

“Thanks,” you murmured while reaching for it. 

“What happened to you?” 

“You saw.” Your tone was bitter and resentful. “Did Heero tell you about our history?” 

“No.” 

“Figures…” you said on a sigh. “How much do you know of his training?” 

“It’s not something we talk about,” Trowa said. “None of us is comfortable doing so. But we all can guess that Heero has had the harshest training of us all.” 

“We’re not just shaped by training.” 

Your words made him gaze at you in surprise. 

“Our experiences shape us way more than training ever could.” 

Visions of the past flashed before his eyes, and he involuntarily closed his eyes against them. You were right. He himself had been shaped by his experiences. Training had only added just a touch. He’d seen too much blood and death before he had even reached his teens. 

“You’re right…” 

“Hmm…” You sipped your tea, and tilted your head back to gaze at the sky. You seemed much calmer now, but Trowa knew it to be just a facade. “Heero botched a mission a couple of months before Operation M was supposed to start. Dekim Barton ordered him to be retrained because he was considered to be too kind. It changed him and to prove that the retraining was a success… They…” 

You fell silent and Trowa noticed you had curled your shaking hands into fists. On instinct, he reached out and curled his fingers around your hand. 

“They cut me up in front of him.” 

“Jesus…” he breathed, shock coating his tone. 

“Heero… he didn’t help me.” Your voice broke, as if you were reliving the trauma all over again. You pulled your feet up on the bench and curled into yourself. “They left me to die in front of him… but… I was too strong. You see, Doctor J used me as a test subject for his genetic experiments. If they proved to be successful, he’d use them on Heero as well. As a result, my body was too strong and I survived.”

Trowa had to swallow thickly at your broken tone. Jesus, what had Heero been thinking, dumping such a traumatized woman on him? None of them were equipped to deal with this, suffering from their own traumas as they were. 

“I…” 

“Shh…” He reached for you and slipped his arm around your shoulders. “It’s okay. You don’t have to say anything more if you don’t want to.” 

“But you saw!” A dry sob tore from your throat. 

“It doesn’t matter what I saw,” Trowa said. “I have scars too, you know.” 

You wildly shook your head. “You don’t understand… I can never… no man will ever…” 

“But Heero did,” he said, quickly catching on. No man, other than Heero had liked your body in the state it was in. 

You rubbed your hands over your face and turned your head to look at him. Your eyes were dry, but the look in them haunted. “I can never be normal.” 

“Well, that makes two of us,” he said calmly. 

He watched as the look in your eyes cleared, and a hint of a smile came to tug at your lips. “Right… Sometimes I forget that you’re much like me. You understand.” 

“Hmm.” Now the calm seemed genuine, so he drew his arm back from around your shoulders. “And I think you’re doing fine, adjusting to life here.” 

“It’s not always easy,” you admitted in a rueful tone. 

“You are trying and we’re finding a way.” He picked up his mug again and finished his coffee. “So what brought on this mood?” 

You shook your head. “I guess I just had a bad moment.” 

So you didn’t want to tell him about Heero being here today. Huh. He was going to let that rest for now. 

“I’ll warm up dinner for you,” he said while getting up. “You need to eat.” 

“Guess so…” 

He went inside, his mind still mulling over the information you had spilled to him, and the information that you had kept from him. Heero was getting a phone call in the morning.

-x-x-x-

You wandered into the tent during Trowa’s practice round of his trapeze act. The circus was now on the outskirts of Paris, and you felt much more like yourself again. Talking to Trowa had helped. The past week you had struggled through nightmares, reliving terrible memories again and again, but Trowa’s presence calmed you. You shared a lot of quiet evenings with him in front of the trailer, and it was… almost normal. 

You walked through the backstage area and into the ring, were the lights were playing over the tarp that covered the ground. You tilted back your head, and your fingers tightened involuntarily around the water bottle you had brought along with you. 

Trowa was in the midst of his routine, flipping through the air and grabbing onto the trapeze that came swinging his way with an effortlessness that could only be achieved through endless practice. He was shirtless and his movements were graceful, muscles moving sleekly under skin that was coated in a sheen of sweat and ink. 

The lights played over his body, made his beard blaze copper. His eyes were narrowed in concentration as the trapeze swung through the air and he flipped his legs over it and pushed himself up until he was balancing on top of it. 

You didn’t notice that your mouth had fallen open as you stared at him. You had never seen him practice before as you usually avoided the crowded circus grounds during the afternoons. You had never watched a show either, for the same reason. But now…   
Trowa didn’t notice you until he clambered down the ladder. “-Y/N-.” 

You found that you had to swallow, your mouth having run dry. “You forgot this.” 

He reached for the water bottle that you held out to him and uncapped it. You watched wordlessly as he drank, and tipped your head back again, gazing at the empty trapeze hanging over the ring. 

“I… I want to be up there,” you said. 

“Huh?” 

You met his gaze and dared to say it again. “Up there. I want to try it.” 

“The trapeze?” he questioned, while raising his eyebrow. 

“Doing that… Does it feel like flying?” You couldn’t keep the longing out of your voice. You could only guess at the freedom he experienced while flying through the air like that.

And you wanted **that**. 

“It takes practice,” he said.

“Not like I can’t handle it,” you murmured, then attempted a somewhat cheeky look. “And heights don’t scare me.” 

“I usually work alone.” 

“I don’t have to be part of an act,” you said. “I just want to try…” 

He gaze you a long and assessing look, before finally speaking again. “Alright. Come on up.” 

Your stomach whirled wildly with something you could only guess to be excitement as you followed him to the ladder. 

**\- End chapter 9 -**


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finished the final chapter of this story last night, so I’m really gonna go for two/three updates a week from now on! 
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> Disclaimer: I don’t own Gundam Wing, its characters, or you.

**Deadly Intent  
Chapter 10**

Trowa woke from the sounds of scuffling footsteps in the living area in the trailer. He was alert in an instant, heartbeat speeding up and adrenaline pumping through his veins as he lay listening in the dead silence of night. A quick glance at his alarm clock told him it was three o’clock in the morning. The footfalls were too heavy to be yours, so he knew that he was dealing with an intruder. 

His hand itched towards his pillow, under which he kept his gun hidden. The feeling of the cold steel against his skin gave him a sense of calm as he curled his fingers around it. He soundlessly got up from the bed and made his way to the door. The intruder had moved to the other side of the trailer, to where your bedroom was. 

Trowa pressed his ear against the door, listening intently, while closing his free hand around the door handle, inching it down slowly and soundlessly. He heard your door being opened, and threw open his own bedroom door, aiming his gun at the intruder’s back. 

There was a quick and deadly flash of silver, and then the telltale sound of a knife piercing through flesh. The intruder grunted and his body convulsed with the impact. The next moment he collapsed back onto the floor, gurgling and choking on his own blood. In the moonlight, Trowa could make out the hilt of one of your knives sticking out of his throat. You stood next to your bed, bathed in silver light, murder in your narrowed gaze. 

“You okay?” Trowa asked while approaching the dying intruder. 

“Yeah.” You moved forward, crouching over the heaving body on the floor. “Who send you?” 

The man drew in another ragged breath, blood frothing on his lips. His eyes were wide, fear flashing in his gaze. It was clear he wasn’t going to last much longer. 

“Did Markus send you?” you asked, danger seeping into your voice. Then recognition washed over your face. “Of course he did.” 

The man drew in a last, gurgling breath and then went still, the light dying in his gaze. 

“Who is Markus?” Trowa asked while crouching down next to the body. 

“Leave the knife in. He’ll bleed all over the floor otherwise,” you said.

“I know.” 

“Markus Holden. Ever heard of him?” you said, while grabbing a clean sheet from your closet to wrap around the body. You grabbed the dead man’s legs.

Trowa helped you haul the body away from the door opening. “We gotta get rid of him.”

“Yeah…” 

“Markus Holden… wasn’t he one of the leading crime lords on L2?” Trowa narrowed his gaze as he straightened. “One of my friends arrested him about six years ago.” 

He noticed how you stilled. “Yes… I was his handler.” 

Trowa whipped his head around to look at you. “ _What_?” 

“You heard me,” you said, tone turning cool. “Heero had one of his colleagues question Holden when I broke into his apartment. I think he send this goon after me.” 

“Great.” Trowa sank down on the sofa and sighed. Another problem added to the mix. 

“We have to dump the body,” you said matter of factly. 

“We can’t drive off now. I have the keys to the van here. I’m supposed to run some errands in the morning.” 

“Okay. I’ll join you. I’ll find us a quiet place along a river.” You sat down next to him and leaned your head back against the wall. “Sorry about this.” 

“You recognized him, didn’t you?” Trowa asked.

“Yeah… But he is not one of the top favorites. They are all jailed too.” You sighed. “I’ll have to be on guard.” 

Trowa reached out and put his hand on your shoulder. “I’ve got your back.” 

For the first time he realized you were wearing a tank top and shorts, the scars on your arms and legs clearly visible in the dim light that poured in through the window. The moonlight turned the lines crisscrossing over your skin to silver. He took his time to look at them, because you seemed to be at ease. 

“They are not so bad you know,” he said. “The scars…” 

You snorted. “These are het minor ones.” 

“Have you thought of covering them with tattoos?” he asked. 

Your expression turned thoughtful, and he noticed how your gaze caught on the images inked onto his hands and arms. 

“Could I do that?” you asked. 

“I think so yeah… Mine cover some of my scars too.” 

“Hmm… Maybe…” You moved and got up, breaking the moment. “I’ll get dressed and find us that dumping spot.” 

-x-x-x-

It was a hassle to get the body into the back of the van unseen, but you managed. You were glad when Trowa drove the van off the circus grounds. Your mind was restless with the implications of the assassin showing up. Markus knew you were alive and he wanted you dead. 

He had been given a life sentence, but if you talked you were sure his punishment would be even more severe. He was trying to cover his tracks. 

But Freddy was one of the less smart ones in his employment. You didn’t think you’d have to fear much. But having assassins after you meant that you would be causing Trowa trouble. 

“You shouldn’t be involved in this,” you said with a sigh as you turned your head to look out the window. Trees and hills passed by in a blur. “I’m causing you trouble.” 

“You can’t help that someone is after you,” Trowa said pragmatically. “As long as we work together, we can stay one step ahead of them. When we get back, I’ll give Heero a call.” 

You blinked. Could it be that the assassin had followed Heero’s trail to the circus? It would make perfect sense. Of course Markus would be smart enough to put two and two together. A Preventer had come to question him about you, and Markus only had to ask around about any recent criminal activity that Preventer was dealing with. He had rightfully concluded you to be the shooter at the ESUN ball. 

**Fuck**. 

“Heero can’t visit us while we’re dealing with this,” you said. “I think they might be shadowing him.” 

“Oh?” 

You swallowed, feeling uncomfortable and guilty as you turned your head to look at Trowa again. “He came to visit me three weeks ago.” 

“I see.” Trowa’s tone gave away nothing, and that made your shoulders relax again. He wasn’t judging you. “Okay, so I’ll tell him that.” 

“I’m assuming this guy worked alone, so none else should know about my whereabouts.” 

“How can you be so sure?” 

You made a gesture with your head in the direction of the back of the van. “Freddy here… He liked money. He never told anyone about what he was after because he didn’t want to share his earnings.” 

“Okay, that’s good.” 

Trowa took the exit off the highway and drove the van in the direction of a tiny village that was sprawled along the bank of a river. You were planning to dump the body in the water down stream from the village. It was far enough from the circus grounds, and the water would hopefully destroy any evidence on the body. With the warm temperatures he should decompose soon enough, you thought. 

The whole situation gave you a headache. 

Just when you thought you were getting used to the life at the circus, Markus had to ruin it for you. You leaned your head back against the headrest and sighed. When you got back, you were going to practice on the trapeze for a couple of hours. That should settle your mind at least. Working on the trapeze had become your favorite pass time. There was no way to describe the feeling of flying through the air, the utter freedom and weightlessness you experienced. Trowa was a patient and willing teacher and you enjoyed learning from him. 

One of the other acrobats thought you and Trowa should do an act during the circus show together. The circus didn’t have any female acrobats, and the men joked it would be fun to have you on the team so they’d at least have a girl to throw through the air. Catherine’s expression had soured when she had overheard, and you knew she was still not happy with your presence at the circus.

She would be livid if she ever discovered and assassin had snuck into her brother’s trailer to kill you. 

Trowa found a quiet place along the river, and parked the van on the bank. You were out of your seat in an instant, moving around the van to open the back doors. The dirt road was deserted, the area quiet. There were no boats out on the river. Perfect. 

You quickly ducked into the van and lifted the sheet off of Freddy’s face so you could finally retrieve your knife. You wiped it clean on the sheet and slid it into the sheath at your ankle. “Let’s get rid of him.”

Together, you and Trowa hauled the body out of the van. You didn’t bother weighing it down and dumped it in the water. The current was strong enough to carry the body away quickly. 

You turned towards Trowa and gave him a rueful half smile. “Done.” 

“Yeah.” He turned back to the van. “Let’s go.” 

You got into the passenger’s seat again. As you drove away from the river, the feeling of dread swirling in your stomach eased. It became easier to breathe again. 

-x-x-x-

Trouble had come knocking. Heero prowled up and down the little office he held in the ESUN building. He had been right predicting that Markus Holden would try to have you killed. And fuck it, he no longer had the authority and power to help you. He felt agitated by that knowledge.

You had been very calm about the whole ordeal. Cool and cynical even. You didn’t seem to care much about there being two targets on your back now. That mindset worried Heero. He had taken you to the circus so you could have a taste of a more normal life, as far as living with a circus was normal. He had wanted to give you something to live for, but it still seemed like you didn’t care about whether you lived or died. 

He turned back to his laptop when it announced a new email had come in. He sat down and opened it. The list of names you had promised him. He read through it quickly, copied the text and printed it.   
The names were unfamiliar to him, but they might mean something to Duo. Heero knew he still loved going after the trash on L2 occasionally in efforts of making it safe. 

Heero squared his shoulders as he left his office, signaling one of his subordinates that he was going out for a while. He still held limited access to Preventer Headquarters (another thing Une had begrudgingly agreed to), so he could go in and deliver the list to Duo, granted his friend was willing to talk to him.

He sighed as he stepped into the elevator. Neither Wufei or Duo had spoken to him since his dismissal. They were trying to make a point, Heero knew. Something Duo would sometimes refer to as ‘Bros before hoes’, and in a sense they were right, but Heero felt he was also right. His gut told him he had done the right thing. He never questioned his instincts. That didn’t mean he didn’t miss his friends. It stung that they were giving him the silent treatment. 

He left the ESUN building and crossed the square that separated it from Preventer HQ. He used his badge to enter and was on his way up to Duo’s office in minutes. 

He felt the curious stares on his back as he walked through the hallway and rapped his knuckles on the open door. Duo looked up from his computer screen, and his gaze narrowed when he noticed who was standing in his office.

“Heero,” he said in a tone that sounded casual enough. “What brings you here?” 

“I got something for you.” Heero moved in, and took the printed list out of his pockets. “Do any of these names ring a bell?” 

Duo took the paper he held out to him and read over it, his brows furrowing in confusion when he looked up again. “Where’d you get these names from? I’ve been wanting to go after some of these people for some time now.” 

“From -Y/N-.”

“Figures,” Duo muttered. 

“I promised her that if she worked with me, I’d do my best to keep Holden away from her.” 

“Well…” Duo quipped sarcastically. “I’d say let the man have his way.” 

“Duo.” Heero’s tone turned cool. “I know you’re not happy with me-”

“That’s an understatement,” Duo interrupted him. 

“…but I think you’re being unfair.” 

“Am I now?” 

“Yes. Have you thought about what you would do if you’d been in my position?” Heero questioned. “What if someone from your past showed up one day?”

Duo’s expression went dark with memories. He _hated_ remembering, so Heero was always careful not to touch upon the subject, but Duo had to see his point. 

“They’re all dead, so that won’t be happening,” Duo said flatly. 

“Will you look into the list?” 

“Of course…” Duo sighed. “These are wanted men and women. And if they are connected to Holden I want them behind bars.” 

“Good.”

“Alright.” Heero rapped his knuckles on the surface of Duo’s desk and stepped back. “I’ll be going then.” 

He was halfway to the door when Duo called him back. “Heero, wait.” 

“Hn?” He turned around and found that Duo had risen from his chair and was moving around the desk. 

Before he knew it he was pulled into a tight hug, and Duo was thumping his fist on his back. “Sorry, man. Let’s go for a beer on Friday.” 

“Hn. Sure.” He pulled away, still a little awkward whenever Duo did spontaneous gestures like that. But it told him one thing. Duo missed him too. 

“I’ll drag Wufei along.”

“Good luck with that.” He felt the beginnings of a smirk tug at his lips. 

“Yeah… well…” Duo scratched at the back of his neck, looking sheepish and a little guilty. “This has been going on long enough, don’t you think?” 

Heero nodded. “Yeah.” 

“Alright. I’ll call you.” 

“Sure.” He turned away and continued on his way. 

He felt lighter than he’d felt in weeks as he stepped into the elevator again.

**\- End chapter 10 -**


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own Gundam Wing, its characters, or you.

**Deadly Intent  
Chapter 11**

A week after you had dumped him, the body of Freddy Harris was found. Ever since he had tried to come in and kill you, you had been on high alert, but when the news hit the newspapers’ headlines, you made sure to be on your guard at all times. He had been found far enough away from the dumping site to be connected to the circus, but you were smarter than to underestimate Preventer.

Freddy Harris was connected to Markus, so it wouldn’t take long for Preventer to put two and two together. Especially since Heero had given the list of names you had sent him to Agent Maxwell. 

_The cat and mouse game wasn’t over yet._

You were sure Preventer would come looking for you and so you were prepared. You always made sure to conceal weapons on your body. Trowa noticed your change in behavior, and although he didn’t comment on it, you could tell that he was on high alert too. The days continued as before, with you and Trowa practicing on the trapeze, and endless costume fixes during the afternoons. But there was a tension in the air, almost tangible, and it made your blood sing. 

In a way it felt good to be reminded of what you were capable of. You were so much more than what you were pretending to be. But whenever you saw Trowa, saw him tend to the animals with so much care, or watched him interact with the circus crew, you felt a pang to your stomach. It took you a while to realize what it was. _Longing._

You wanted to be more than the weapon and the killer. You wanted to be part of the circus just as much as Trowa was. But the people’s attitude to you was still wary. As long as Catherine didn’t openly support you, they wouldn’t either. The team of acrobats were nice enough, but only because they saw you work with Trowa on a daily basis. 

“How do I fit in more?” 

Trowa turned away from the lion’s cage, gaze narrowed and shoulders tense. He relaxed once he saw it was you. “-Y/N-.”

You reached for the bucket of meat that stood next to him and bit your lip. “Well?” 

“I think I’m the last person you should ask for advice on that,” he said dryly. 

You snorted humorlessly as you followed him to the next cage. “You think?” 

“I stood out at first too, you know.” 

“Yeah okay, but you adapted,” you said and held out the bucket so he could distribute the remaining meat among the tigers. “How did you do it?” 

He shrugged. “It just happens at some point. You have to make a bit of an effort.” 

You wanted to sigh with frustration. He wasn’t very forthcoming. 

He noticed the look on your face and his lips twitched into that little half-smile he would sometimes give you. “Don’t look so frustrated.” 

“I’m sorry, it’s just…” 

“Hard for people like us. I know.” He took off the gloves he had been wearing and threw them into the empty bucket. “Why don’t you ask Catherine to go shopping with you or something?” 

“Do you honestly think that will go down well?” Sarcasm dripped from every word.

“Like I said, you have to make a bit of an effort.” 

You grumbled and kicked out at a pebble, sending it skidding across the grass. “Okay. Fine.” 

He reached out and squeezed your shoulder. His touch was warm and reassuring and you attempted to give him a little smile in return. His gaze warmed and you found yourself captivated by his alluring green eyes. It wasn’t the first time that it happened. During your daily practice rounds your often found yourself lost in his gaze. You had told yourself that it was because of the enforced closeness the practice rounds gave you, but it got harder and harder to deny the fluttering in your chest and the way your blood sang whenever you had to wrap yourself around him for another stunt. 

“Thank you,” you said softly, and prayed he wouldn’t notice that your voice had turned husky.

But of course he had. You saw how his gaze darkened, and for a tiny moment, his eyes focused on your mouth. Your heartbeat accelerated in anticipation. You were reminded of how Heero had made you feel, and wondered curiously if Trowa could make you feel the same. The moment was broken soon enough however, and he visibly steeled himself. 

“Try it,” he said finally. 

You nodded. “Okay.” 

But it took you a few days to get yourself so far to actually ask Catherine. Nonetheless, it was progress, and when she begrudgingly agreed to go with you, you allowed yourself to take a little pride in that. 

-x-x-x-

Duo Maxwell was one of Preventer’s star agents and he damn well knew it. He lived to maintain the peace he had sacrificed so much for at a young age, lived to clean the streets of the scum that still littered it. The list that Heero had provided him with, was an accurate lead. And damn it, he’d been wanting to clean L2 of some of these people for years. He finally had the chance. 

But Une had to be a pain in the ass again.

He sighed and rubbed his temples. “Does it matter where I got the list from?” 

Une pinned him with a steely look. “Yes. No clearance otherwise.”

“Fine,” he snapped. “I got it from Heero.” 

Une blinked at him. “And how, pray tell, did Yuy obtain that list?” 

“From the shooter at the ESUN ball.” 

“Figures.” Une sank down in her chair. “You said you’ve been wanting to go after these people for years now.” 

Duo nodded. “This woman provided us with a connection between this list and Markus Holden. We finally got something to pin these people down on.”

Une sighed. “Still… she is a wanted criminal herself.”

“She vanished, and we have no clue where she is,” Duo said. “This might be our only chance to make these arrests.” 

“Have you looked into connections between these people and criminal activities in other areas?” 

“Agent Chang and Agent Po are investigating that.” 

“Fine.” Une nodded. “You’re already putting work into it and I won’t let those hours go to waste. You have a case.” 

Duo grinned and got up. “Thanks.” 

He was on his way back to his office soon after. Wufei was waiting for him there, a determined look on his face. 

“I got something interesting,” he said, while holding up a file folder.

Duo shut the door and plopped down into his office chair. “Spill.” 

“The body of Freddy Harris was found last week. The police is investigating it, but the chief thought we might want to know he is connected to Markus Holden.” 

Duo straightened in his seat abruptly. “Really?” 

“I obtained their report.” Wufei handed him the file folder. “Harris had a sum of money transferred to his bank account a few days prior to his death.” 

“Interesting…” Duo grinned darkly as he read over the report.

Freddy Harris had taken a single knife to the throat. A quick, clean kill. Obviously the work of a professional. _The handler._ He felt his heartbeat accelerate as he read over the information. He was on to her and it wouldn’t be long before he could arrest her and bring her in. Heero would be furious, but Duo firmly believed this woman had to be behind bars. She was dangerous out on the loose like that. 

“So what’s your theory?” Duo inquired.

Wufei crossed his arms in front of his chest, and a slight smirk came to play over his face. “My guess is that Holden hired him to kill his handler. She killed him first.”

“Heh. I think so too.” 

“He had been in the water for about a week. Based on the strength of the current the police think he was dumped here.” Wufei took the file and leafed through it until Duo was looking at a map of a French rural town build alongside the river in which Harris’ body had been found. “Unfortunately the village has no camera’s installed on the streets, so we have no car to look for.”

“Fuck. Of course.” Duo grumbled under his breath and reached for the file. “Oh well… Une approved the case, so we can go and arrest the people on the list. Maybe we can wring some information on the woman from them.” 

“Who knows.” Wufei nodded. 

“Heero’s not going to be happy when he finds out we’re still investigating her.” 

Wufei scowled. “She needs to be behind bars.” 

“Yeah… I think so too.” Duo sighed. 

Wufei got up. “I’ll collect all the info we got so far. Let’s have a meeting tomorrow morning to discuss it.” 

“Sure.” Duo pulled the file towards him. “I’ll study this and see if there are any leads we can chase.” 

He was soon pretty much buried in the file. Freddy Harris had an extensive record of felonies and most of them had been paid murder for hires. Interesting. Although there was little evidence of that last money transfer coming from Holden, Duo was sure it came from him. 

If Harris was dumped in a little rural village, the handler had to have been staying close by. But where? There were hundreds of little villages in the area. All obscure places she could be hiding out at. He pulled up his internet browser and researched the area, trying to find any news connected to Harris’ death and new people moving into the area. Usually such things caused quite an uproar in little towns. 

After almost and hour of scrolling through page after page, he was ready to give up. No new faces had showed up recently, and while many sites reported on the news of Harris’ body being found, the information was much the same. But then an advertisement caught his eye and he felt his blood run cold. His body felt alien with the numbness it brought along.

He found himself staring at his screen with wide eyes, his mouth hanging open in shock. _Of course…_ But it couldn’t be! _Right?_

Yet, it was too much of a coincidence. 

Snarling with rage and betrayal, Duo bolted from his office. He was racing down the highway on his motorcycle in minutes. 

-x-x-x-

He came for you late at night, while you were checking costumes in the big tent after the evening show. Trowa had left the circus grounds, along with a large part of the troupe, to celebrate the success of a sold-out show. You were alone, and you were prepared.

Yet, when Agent Duo Maxwell stepped into the dimly lit area, it looked as if you were seeing a ghost. And in fact you were. He hadn’t changed much in the last few years, still looked dashingly handsome. He was dressed in black from head to toe, obviously not giving a damn about Preventer protocol or uniforms. 

But the look in his eyes was anything but the kindness he had showed you six years ago. No, he knew who you truly were now, and he was not going to be kind to you. 

“You…” he breathed. His tone told you he was trying to contain his anger, but wasn’t very successful at it. 

You dropped the costume you had been holding and righted your stance, whipping out the gun that you had tucked in waistband of your jeans at the small of your back. Your aim was steady as you gazed down the barrel at him. 

“What do you want?” you asked him. 

His smile was cynical. “I’ve been looking for you -Y/N-. I had no clue where you might be, and here you are hiding right under my nose.”

You narrowed your gaze at him and repeated your question, and this time the danger slipped into your tone. “What do you want?” 

He took a step in your direction, and your thump came up to dislodge the safety on your gun. “So how did you do it? Is Trowa fucking you too in exchange for cover?” 

Fury rose at his question. “None of your fucking business.” 

“It wouldn’t surprise me in the least.” Duo Maxwell’s oddly colored violet eyes flickered with a need for violence. “How else would you be able to wrap both him and Heero around your finger?” 

You snarled, but kept your stance, not giving him the satisfaction of seeing how much he was riling you up. You were longing, very much, to put a bullet between his eyes, but that would cause trouble. Fuck. You couldn’t use your gun. The sound of the gunshot would surely alert people. 

_“You cause Trowa any trouble and you’re out.”_

Catherine’s biting words came back at you. You didn’t want to leave the circus. You couldn’t… not after finally finding a place where you wanted to belong. 

You couldn’t leave Trowa…

“I gave you a list of people to put behind bars,” you said. “Yet you are here.” 

“You belong behind bars right along with the rest of them,” Maxwell said. 

His hands were balled into fists at his sides, telling you he either had no gun on him, or thought he wouldn’t need it. The latter was the most likely option. He was very likely, very apt at hand to hand combat. Stealth missions had been Duo Maxwell’s forte as a Gundam Pilot. It wouldn’t surprise you in the least if those kind of skills could be applied without the use of a Gundam as well. 

“Says who?” you said. 

His grin was nearly mad, reminding you of your own. You and the Gundam Pilots were very much alike, weren’t you? “I do.” 

“Well…” You bared your teeth in a feral grin yourself. “Doesn’t that make two of us?” 

He was on you in a second, kicking out to slam the gun from your hands. You jumped back, launching your body away from him and neatly landing in a crouched position on the balls of your feet. Your gun skidded over the tarp and disappeared in the shadows. 

“We’re not so different, aren’t we, Duo Maxwell?” you questioned. “Tell me, what gives you the right to judge me?” 

“Shut up,” he snapped, and pounced on you. 

He tackled you to the floor, his hands like vices around your arms. But he was wrong to think you an easy target. You fought him all the way and were quick to discover he wasn’t as strong as Heero or Trowa were. But he was damn fast and pretty agile, and quick to block the knee you brought up. You managed to get a gasp on the incredible rope of hair he had and yanked hard. 

“You fucking bitch!” he snarled angrily. 

He grabbed your shoulders and slammed you back onto the ground, your head hitting the tarp with a dizzying smack. You fought to regain your bearings over the rushing sound in your ears and the splitting pain that exploded. 

“Why don’t you show me what makes you so special, huh?” 

His word barely registered as nausea rolled through your body, leaving you weak and unable to fight him off. Memories flashed before your eyes, of a time when you had been in a similar situation, in a dark basement with Markus’ cronies standing over your beaten body. 

“No…” you choked out. 

You struggled wildly, trying to buck him off, trying in vain to get away from him.

“Stay still!” He grasped at your shirt when you tried to crawl away from him, and the fabric tore under his force.

You froze at his shocked gasp, and the dizziness made your mind spin wildly. The edges of your vision blurred. Your lungs were burning and it did not yet register to you that you were hyperventilating. Duo Maxwell had triggered something within you, something you had been desperately trying to forget. Cruel hands and dark spaces, the weakness and pain leaving you unable to fight back.

Your chest heaved as you gasped for breath and your vision blurred completely. The tears rolled over your temples to disappear in your hair as Duo Maxwell’s weight suddenly left your body, and then you could think no more as darkness came to claim you…

**\- End chapter 11 -**


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more update for this week! The final three chapters will be posted next week, and then I have another story complete! I’m hard at work rounding up For the heart I once had too, so that I can FINALLY start writing Quatre’s story for the Ever After series.
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> Disclaimer: I don’t own Gundam Wing, its characters, or you.

**Deadly Intent  
Chapter 12**

When Trowa returned home past midnight, he was surprised to discover you weren’t in the trailer. It wasn’t unusual for you to be up and about at this time of night, but you never ventured far from the trailer grounds. Worry settled in his gut and he was quick to head back outside. 

Catherine approached him when she noticed him barging over the circus grounds. “Trowa? Is something wrong?” 

“-Y/N- is not in her room,” he said, and couldn’t keep the worry out of his voice.

Damn it, he shouldn’t have left after the show. What if Preventer had found out? Or worse, what if another assassin had come and tried to kill you? 

“She’s probably mending costumes or something,” Catherine tried to ease his mind. She put her hand on his shoulder and squeezed gently. 

Trowa shrugged her off and continued on his way, his eyes narrowing dangerously as he approached the big tent. The backstage lights were on, he could see through the crack in the tent flaps, and you usually weren’t so careless to leave it on after closing up for the night. The worry increased and turned his stomach into knots. Catherine was hot on his heels as he barged through the flaps, and he froze at the sight that greeted him.

His heart stopped right in his chest when he found you unconscious on the floor, shirt torn to bits, and your face deadly pale. “-Y/N-!” 

Catherine gasped in fright. “Oh my God!” 

Trowa fell to his knees at your side and gently tapped your cheek. “-Y/N-? Hey, wake up.” 

He noticed the dried tear streaks on your temples, and the blood that was clotted in the shell of your ear. Fuck…

“Hey, come on.” 

He carefully lifted your head from the ground and felt along the back of it. There was a lump there, from where you had hit your head on the ground. He slid his hands along the back of your neck, and down to your shoulders. There didn’t seem to be any fractures, so he figured it was relatively safe to lift your upper body from the floor. As he did so, he checked to see if your gun was still on you. 

It was not in the waistband of your jeans, where you usually hid it. 

Catherine knelt on your other side. “Is she okay?” 

“She’s breathing at least.” Trowa tapped your cheek again, and nearly sighed in relief when he noticed that your eyelids were fluttering. “That’s it, come on.” 

“Trowa…” Your voice was weak, but you were waking up.

He nearly crushed you to him as he wrapped his arms around you. “I’ve got you. Are you hurt anywhere?” 

“My head…” You burrowed further into his embrace, pressing your face into his chest. 

You were coherent at least and that was a relief. He noticed how Catherine was eying your torn shirt and the exposed and scarred skin of your stomach. Trowa couldn’t stop his gaze from straying either. You had been right, he noticed. The scars on your stomach were much worse than the ones on your arms and legs. 

When he looked up, Catherine did so too, and he noticed the horrified look in her eyes and the clear question. _What the hell had happened to you?_

“Catherine, can you check if her gun is somewhere around here?” Trowa asked, in hopes of giving Catherine something to do.

“Her gun?!? You’re telling me she keeps a gun on her?!?” Catherine’s voice was shrill and Trowa noticed how you winced at the volume.

“Yes,” he said calmly. “Go and look for it.” 

She swore under her breath, but got up and stomped around in the backstage area as she searched. Trowa took the time to gently pry you away from his chest so he could look at you.

“Can you tell me what happened?” he asked.

You bit down on your lip and shook your head. You squeezed your eyes shut when Catherine slapped the light switch and engulfed the entire tent in bright light. 

“Who attacked you?” he pressed gently.

“I don’t know…” You pressed your hands over your face.

It was obvious the bright light bothered you. He shrugged out of his jacket and wrapped it around your torso. “Let’s get you back to the trailer.” 

You huddled in his jacket when he lifted you up, resting your head against his shoulder. “I think I have a concussion.” 

“I’m sure you have one,” he said. 

“Found it!” Catherine announced, and she emerged from between the clothing racks. 

He noticed how you blindly held out your hands and turned towards Catherine so you could take your gun from her. You put the safety back in place and cradled it against your body. He could understand the feeling of safety that came with clutching a gun close. 

Trowa stepped out of the tent and was glad to find the field deserted. He didn’t want anyone to find out. He’d convince Catherine to help spread the story that you had tripped and hit your head. 

He made his way back to his trailer, and carefully lowered you down on the bench in the living area, making sure to keep the lights off. Catherine found her way in as well and got busy in the kitchen.

He crouched in front of you and cupped your cheeks, willing you to look at him. He noticed that your vision was focused. That was a relief at least. “Tell me what happened.” 

“Someone attacked me,” you said vaguely.

“You don’t know who?” he pressed. 

You shook your head and winced. “No…” 

“I’ve got you some ice for that lump,” Catherine said as she came to stand next to Trowa. 

Trowa let her tend to your injuries and leaned back against the kitchen counter with his arms crossed in front of his chest. You were in more pain than you were letting on, wincing visibly when Catherine pressed the ice against the back of your head. 

“I’ll wake you up every couple of hours,” he said, and turned towards the sink to wet a paper towel. 

He took his place by your side and gently cleaned the blood from your ear. It wasn’t as bad as it looked, he noticed. Catherine was biting her lip as she watched him work. He knew she was dying to spew questions at you. Now wasn’t the right time. 

“Let’s get you into bed.” He was quick to pick you up and you protested weakly.

“I can walk just fine, Trowa!” 

“The hell you’re not.” 

He managed to open the door to your room and gently set you down on the bed. He grabbed a clean set of shorts and a t-shirt from your closet and noticed how you were staring at the floor when he turned back. 

“Hey… are you okay?” 

“Can you… step out?” 

He knelt down in front of you and gently took your chin. “-Y/N-, you don’t have to hide it from me.” 

“I know… I just… I don’t like you seeing it.” 

“I’ve already seen it,” he said pragmatically, and reached for the hem of your torn shirt. “Come on. Arms up.” 

You obediently held up your arms and allowed him to pull off the shirt. In the dim moonlight, the scars were clearly visible, and it was very clear you were very self conscious about them, so he made sure not to look. You kept your gaze averted as he helped you into the clean shirt. You changed into the shorts yourself, and slipped under the covers. 

He gently pushed your hair back from your face as he sat down on the edge of the bed. “I’ll be back in a few hours, okay?” 

“Hmm…” Your eyes were already drifting shut. “I’m sorry.” 

“What for?” 

“Causing you trouble.” 

“Don’t worry about it.” 

He got up from the bed and closed the door behind him. Catherine was on him the next instant. 

“What the hell!” she hissed. “Who is she, Trowa?” 

“She’s is Heero’s friend and she needed a place to stay.” 

“Don’t give me that crap!” Catherine looked ready to tear into him. “She carries a gun on her!”

Trowa sighed. “I don’t know any more about her than you do, Catherine.”

“She is trouble!” 

“You think she asked to be attacked?” Trowa glowered at her. 

“No. No, of course not. But she is not normal.” 

“And I am?” he questioned stiffly. 

She sighed. “Trowa…” 

“You didn’t use to judge people so harshly,” he reminded her.

Her expression softened. “I’m sorry. I’m just… Never mind.” 

She narrowed her gaze and stormed out of the trailer. Trowa sighed and went to close and lock the door. There were so many unanswered questions, but they’d have to wait. 

-x-x-x-

You pulled back into yourself. 

You felt utterly vulnerable and stripped off everything that made you a dangerous person. All of that was gone, leaving only a shell of what you once had been. All thanks to Duo Maxwell.

He didn’t show up again, and neither did any other Preventer agents. 

For someone who had been utterly convinced you needed to be in prison, he didn’t do jack shit to follow up on it. It gave you time to heal, but that didn’t mean your mind settled. You often found yourself mulling over the event and his scathing words. 

You hated the vulnerability. You hated to think he had overpowered you so easily. Did it mean you had grown weak?

Trowa tried on occasion to get you to talk to him, but you outward refused to do so. You couldn’t tell him one of his friends had done this. It was easier to let Trowa think some random person had attacked you. You didn’t want to cause him any more trouble. 

Weeks dragged by, and you spend many of your days in silence. When your head was healed, you insisted on picking up your trapeze trainings again. But it wasn’t the same anymore… It still held a kind of magic, but it was no longer special. 

And you knew that was because you had lost your connection to Trowa. Your freezing him out didn’t make him feel inclined to talk to you, it seemed. 

Until he cornered you after a training.

“You’re avoiding me,” he accused you in a mild tone. 

“Am I?”

He narrowed his eyes at you. “Yes. You can’t tell me you don’t notice how you have been ignoring everyone around you since the attack.” 

You tried to give a casual shrug, but your stomach was tying itself in knots. It suddenly became harder for you to breathe. 

“I’ve called Heero and he is coming over today.” 

“No!” you snapped, shaking your head wildly with panic and anger. “He can’t!” 

Trowa raised and eyebrow at your outburst and casually scratched at his chin. “He’s already on his way.” 

“Fuck you.” You stormed out of the tent and across the cobblestones of the square that the circus was currently residing on. 

You slammed the door to the trailer open and snarled. **Fuck.**

As much as you like solitude, it seemed you weren’t getting any anytime soon, because Trowa was hot on your heels and itching for the confrontation that you had been building up to for weeks. He didn’t give you any time to head towards your room and grabbed your arm. His hold was like a vice and caused you to freeze immediately.

“Don’t…” 

“Talk to me,” he urged. “How the hell am I supposed to help you if you don’t talk to me?” 

“I can’t…” 

You hated how small your voice sounded, how hard your heart was pounding. You hated how much you craved contact and his closeness, and were frightened of it at the same time. You hated what Duo Maxwell had turned you into. You wanted the old you back, but it seemed she was beyond your reach. 

“-Y/N-…” Trowa’s tone gentled and he pulled you towards him, resting his hands on your shoulders. “I don’t like seeing you this way.” 

“Well, that makes two of us,” you bit out cynically. 

He sighed. “Come here.” 

You didn’t even get a change to struggle, as the next moment you found yourself wrapped up in his embrace. You felt tears burn in your eyes as he rested his chin on top of your head and simply held you. You swallowed thickly and curled your fingers in the fabric of his shirt. 

“Trust me a little, okay?” he said. 

You struggled to find your voice before you were able to speak. “I’ll try.” 

“I’ll tell Heero to meet us in town.” 

You didn’t want to see Heero. Heero had not been able to keep his promises to you and so he had failed to protect you. It was unfair to blame him, but you couldn’t stop yourself. But you’d go if it pleased Trowa. 

-x-x-x-

Your cool and almost cynical greeting threw Heero off. He hadn’t been expecting the cold look you gave him as he pulled you in for a hug. He gave Trowa a questioning look over your shoulder, but his friend only shrugged. 

“It’s good to see you,” he murmured into your hair. 

You were quick to pull away and stepped back, ensuring as much distance as possible. Trowa rested his hand on your shoulder for a moment, and Heero saw you visibly relax at the touch. 

“Let’s go for lunch,” he said, and turned around to lead the way.

He walked towards a lunchroom he had looked up on the internet. It promised little alcoves that ensured that their conversation would remain at least a little confidential. Trowa had told him over the phone about the attack and how you had been suffering afterwards. 

Heero worried for you. Experiencing trauma and dealing with it worked differently for people like you and him. He was glad that Trowa had asked him to see you. 

The lunchroom had a first floor and it was practically empty as they took their seats. You were drawn to the open doors leading to the balcony and wandered out, leaning your elbows onto the railing as you gazed out onto the streets below.

“How has she been holding up?” he asked Trowa quietly.

“You see how she is,” Trowa said. “I think I finally managed to get through to her this morning though.” 

“It’s odd to see her so shaken up.” 

“Yeah…” 

“She refuses to talk about what happened.” 

Heero sighed and leaned back in his seat. “I guess it’s hard for her to trust us. She’s been relying on herself for years.” 

Trowa turned his head to look at you and Heero noticed how his expression softened. He didn’t even feel jealous as realization dawned. 

“Trowa,” he started to say.

Trowa must have realized what he was going to say and pinned him with a calm and cool look. “She is _your_ woman.” 

“She’s not.” Heero gave his friend a little smile. “Don’t tell me you have been holding back because you thought I had any claim on her.” 

Trowa scoffed. “Shut up.” 

“All I want is for her to be happy and to have a chance,” Heero said. “So go for it.” 

Trowa sulked in his chair, prompting Heero to get up and join you on the balcony to give his friend some time. 

“You can trust Trowa,” he told you as he rested his arms on the balcony’s railing in much the same manner as you were doing. “Talk to him about what happened. It’ll help.” 

“Will it?” The sarcasm dripped from your words. “I doubt it.” 

Heero turned his head to look at you and noticed the forlorn expression on your face. A few months ago you had sat in his bed and had sported the same expression as you had told him about Markus Holden. 

“Preventer has been busy arresting the people from your list. I don’t think you’ll be in danger after this.” 

You sighed and your shoulders slumped. “I’m sorry.” 

“For what?” He kept his tone easy, prompting you to look at him. 

The look in your eyes was haunted. “You did all these things for me, lost your job because of me, and I’m not being grateful.” 

“You’ve been going through a rough patch. I’m not angry with you, and neither is Trowa.” 

The look in your eyes eased, and you attempted a tiny smile. “Thanks Heero.” 

“Hn.” 

He saw you turn around to look at Trowa, and it was easy to see that whatever Trowa was feeling was returned. Heero could only hope that you managed to work through whatever was bothering you so you could grasp that chance at happiness. 

**\- End chapter 12 -**


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own Gundam Wing, its characters, or you.

**Deadly Intent  
Chapter 13**

It got a little easier to breathe. That did not mean your mind settled, but getting through the day was less of a challenge. Trowa didn’t push you to talk, but his presence was calming. Sometimes you would catch him looking at you with an oddly intense look in his eyes, and it made your heart skip a beat. Whenever that happened you had to remind yourself to keep your focus, especially when you were up in the trapeze with him and practically wrapped around his body. The practice rounds were special again, and bit by bit, you fell back into the easy routine from before the attack.

You loosened up again and it felt as natural as breathing.

“You know… you two should really do an act together,” the circus manager said one afternoon as he watched you and Trowa clamber down the ladder. 

“Should we?” you questioned, while giving Trowa a telling look from the corner of your eyes. 

He damn well knew you didn’t want to perform in front of a crowd. 

“It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen and I’ve been around for a while.” The manager grinned and you could practically see the wheels turn in his head as he calculated how much money the circus would be able to make off of it.

Trowa slung his arm around your shoulders in an easy manner that left you a little breathless. 

“We could think about it,” he said.

“I don’t know…” you murmured hesitantly. The idea of being surrounded by so many people made you nervous as hell. 

“It could become the main act with the right kind of promotion.” The manager cackled. “You’d be the stars of the circus!” 

“Come on,” Trowa said with a chuckle, and he pulled you along with him as he set direction for the tent’s exit, his arm still comfortably wrapped around your shoulders. 

“I’m really not sure if it’s a good idea,” you said quietly. 

“Crowds make you nervous, but we can work on that.” 

“Yeah, yeah, and what happens if I lose focus and plummet to my death?” you asked in a dry tone.

A sudden burst of laughter escaped him and you were taken aback by the way it transformed his entire face. _Holy shit,_ you thought and fought the urge to fan yourself. He was beyond gorgeous. 

“You only have to keep your eyes on me,” he said. 

Your lips pulled up into a somewhat feral grin. Was he flirting with you? _Well, well…_

It was a rather pleasing notion. 

“Besides, we practice without a safety net now, and you’re distracted half the time.” His voice dropped a little, and you found yourself having to swallow thickly.

So he had noticed. 

Of course he had. He was a former Gundam Pilot so he was trained not to let anything skip his notice. But if he had… he certainly didn’t seem to mind. 

It set desire ablaze in your belly. _Fuck_ … you were not ready for this. 

“I’ll think about it,” you muttered. 

Trowa squeezed your shoulder. “Good.” 

You prepared to step into the trailer, but he called you back.

“Just so you know…” he said, voice husky. “I won’t ever let you fall.” 

He turned around and walked away, leaving you staring after him with wide eyes and a wildly beating heart. 

-x-x-x-

For the umpteenth time that day, Wufei Chang dialed the number of his colleague and friend Duo Maxwell. He had not shown up at the office that day, while he had been scheduled for a shift and they were supposed to have a meeting on their case after lunch. It was giving Wufei a tremendous headache. 

Duo had been acting off for weeks, looking haggard and pale, and refused to talk about what was bothering him. Every time Wufei pressed him for details, Duo would only glare darkly at him and stalk off. It was strange behavior for someone with Duo’s happy-go-lucky attitude. Especially since he and Heero had been on better terms for a couple of weeks now. There was no sound reason for this kind of behavior.

Wufei still had to get himself to forgive Heero for his not so little stunt. He simply could not wrap his head around the fact that Heero insisted on hiding a woman who had put Sally in the hospital. 

He was ready to get up and go to drag Duo from his apartment when Heero came barging into his office.

“Hey,” he said, sounding worried. “I can’t reach Duo.”

“That makes two of us,” Wufei said. “I was about to go and head down to his apartment.” 

Heero’s expression turned grim. “Shit. I’ll join you.” 

Wufei’s mood dropped at the prospect of spending time in Heero’s company, but it was better to check on Duo together. 

“He’s been acting off for weeks now,” Wufei groused as Heero slipped into the passenger’s seat of his car. “I tried talking to him, but he would just walk off.” 

“Yeah…” Heero rubbed his forehead and sighed. “I noticed as well. I thought he was going through another bad spell, but it seems a bit more serious this time.” 

Wufei grunted in agreement.

“I know you’re still angry with me,” Heero said.

“Angry is not beginning to cut it, Yuy.” 

“Hn.”

“Sally has been very lucky, but what if there had been lasting damage?” 

Heero sighed. “I understand, but I’m hoping you’ll come to understand me too.”

Wufei sighed. “What’s so special about her anyway?” 

Heero’s lips quirked up into a small smile. “I see us when I look at her.” 

Wufei snorted. “Well… All the more reason why she should be in a place where someone can watch her every move.” 

“You think I didn’t take care of that?” 

“Right…” Some of the tension slipped out of Wufei’s shoulders.

Of course Heero would have taken her to a place where people would keep an eye on her. But where?

“You of all people should understand.” 

Wufei swallowed thickly and tried to fight down the wave of guilt that threatened to overflow him. Every time he was forced to think back to that horrible time in AC 196… How lost and angry he had been then, a danger to himself and those around him. He’d almost thrown everything they had fought so hard for out of the window. And for what?

Maybe Heero was right. He should at least be able to understand that woman in some way. But did that make it right that she was evading arrest?

He pulled his car to a stop in front of Duo’s apartment and sat clutching the wheel in a white knuckled grip for a moment longer. 

“Okay…” he managed to grind out through clenched teeth. “I see your point.” 

“You don’t sound like you’re happy about that fact.” 

“Indeed I am not.” Wufei’s nostrils flared. He willfully relaxed his shoulders and took a deep breath. “But you’re right.” 

“And I do understand your anger.” 

“So…” 

“So… Let’s go see how that idiot is doing and get coffee after work?” Heero suggested. 

Wufei smirked. “Deal.” 

Little did they know that Duo would prove to be a handful, and neither of them was able to walk out of the apartments until hours later, both sporting bruises. 

Heero glared as he nursed his bruised jaw, looking pissed off as hell. “Still has a nasty right hook.” 

“Sure does,” Wufei agreed easily as he slid behind the wheel. “But he was able to work off some steam, so I’m sure he’ll show up for work tomorrow.” 

“Hn… What do you think happened to him?” 

Wufei shrugged. “He’s been busy making all these arrests. Maybe one of these people triggered him.” 

Heero nodded, looking thoughtful. “Yeah… could be.” 

Wufei didn’t like the idea, but it was the most plausible explanation. He’d dive into Duo’s paperwork and see which one of these people had caused this. Wufei would make sure that Duo would stay away from them. 

He dropped Heero off at the ESUN building, and headed back to his office, where he dove into Duo’s report on the case. It took him two hours.

There was a discrepancy in Duo’s tracker’s log. It stated he’d been out in a rural village in France some weeks ago, but Wufei couldn’t find anything on it in the report. He’d been ready to grumble about Duo being forgetful, when he realized that Duo must have left the information out on purpose. His friend was usually very tedious in making sure all details about his cases were in his reports. It didn’t make sense that he suddenly left something out of it. 

Wufei noted down the location, and rubbed at his temples. He’d have to head out and meet Heero soon, but he was not ready to give up now.

What had been in that place that had drawn Duo’s attention?

He pulled up his internet browser and started searching. What had been in that location during the time period of Duo’s visit? He felt his blood run cold when he found it. 

_No…_

But he couldn’t really deny it. He had to grab onto the edge of his desk to keep himself in check. So not only Heero had been working to hide the woman. 

“Screw you, Barton.” 

He was up in an instant, texting Heero that something had come up and that he had to reschedule. The circus was in Antwerpen now, so he’d pay it a visit. He checked his gun and grabbed an extra clip op munition from one of the cabinets on his way out. He knew what he was up against, so he’d go prepared.  
-x-x-x-

“So… What you’re basically asking for is a construction that allows us to drop and raise the trapezes.” 

“Yeah…” Trowa pointed towards the sketch he had made. “I added a list of materials we could use. The cables have to be sturdy and strong if we’re gonna force them to endure this.” 

Dimitri sighed and leaned back in his chair, rubbing his hands over his face. He looked a tad uncomfortable and awed at the same time. He was in charge of the circus’ constructions that were used during the shows, and you and Trowa might have just given him his most challenging job to date.

“This is going to be dangerous,” he warned. “We can’t put up a safety net if you insist on doing this.” 

You and Trowa exchanged a look. “So?” you questioned. 

Dimitri rolled his eyes and took the sketch from the table. “Looks sturdy enough this way.” 

Trowa’s eyes gleamed. He was damn good at this, you had discovered as you had discussed the possible act. He knew what worked and what materials to look into, how to use a monster of a computer system to have the act work and the trapezes drop at the right intervals. 

“Still think you’re both insane, but I’ll see what we can fix.” 

“Thanks,” Trowa said. 

You bared your teeth in a feral grin and noticed it made Dimitri shift in his seat. You got up from your chair and prepared to leave the trailer. “I’m going to do a final check on the costumes.” 

“Sure.” Trowa gave you a wave and reached for his laptop, on which he had a 3D design of the construction to show to Dimitri.

You chuckled and stepped out. 

It was getting close to dinner time, so there weren’t many people out on the field. You headed towards the tent, glad to have the space all to yourself as you checked over the costumes. You fixed a tear in one of them, and hummed to yourself as you worked. 

Everything was back to normal, and you felt more at ease. Duo Maxwell’s attack didn’t bother you anymore. He hadn’t shown up again and you doubted he would in the any near future. 

And Trowa…

You heaved a sigh and felt a small smile tug at your mouth. Yeah, that was something. It was still thrilling and a little disconcerting at the same time to feel your heart jump in your chest every time he looked at you so intently. It took some time getting used to. 

There was one thing however, that was plain clear to you. Whatever you had seen in Heero, was nothing compared to what Trowa evoked in you. It was different. With Heero it had just been physical attraction, and as much as you had enjoyed that, it wasn’t just what you wanted from Trowa. This went beyond, deeper. And it was a little scary. 

You had never allowed yourself to feel this way about anyone before. You had always been living on the edge, hiding from Markus, struggling to survive in a world that was alien to you. But remarkably, you were adjusting.

All thanks to Trowa. 

You put the fixed costume back on the rack and examined the next. Soon, you’d have to start thinking of costumes for your act. You bit your lip. Something tight fitting… lace, a bright vibrant color. Trowa in black pants. 

Music too… Something sexy, dark, mysterious. 

You were indulging yourself, but ended up wanting it exactly in the way you were imagining it. You’d leave the technical aspects of the act up to Trowa, but you would be in charge of the visuals. You bit your lip. Maybe Catherine would warm up to you if you asked her to help you. That shopping trip had never happened after the attack, so this would be the ideal opportunity to win her over. Spirits high, you turned away from the clothing rack and prepared to leave the tent. 

You froze however, when you found Wufei Chang staring at you from the entrance. 

**\- End chapter 13 -**


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s almost done! One more chapter to go after this one!
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> Disclaimer: I don’t own Gundam Wing, its characters, or you.

**Deadly Intent  
Chapter 14**

You felt cold and numb, images flitting before your eyes. A dark figure with long hair stepped forward, merging with Wufei Chang’s body as he moved into the tent. 

“No…” you whispered. 

You steeled yourself, one hand whipping out your gun, while the other remained at your side, fingers trailing along the seam of your jeans to find the little ring of the garrote you had sewed into them. After your confrontation with Duo Maxwell you had vowed to never be without a weapon again.

“I have to bring you in,” Wufei Chang said. 

His tone was cool and collected, his sharp gaze trained on your gun as he moved in on you. 

“No!” you ground out, and clicked off the safety. “Not another move, Chang!”

He held up his hands and his eyes shifted towards your face, a glint of amusement flickering in the dark depts. “You know my name.” 

“Of course,” you bit out. “Who do you take me for?” 

“You put my partner in the hospital.” His tone betrayed nothing, but his eyes flashed dangerously.

“So I did,” you said. “Does Trowa know that you’re here?” 

“No.” Those sharp eyes zeroed in on the movements of your hand along your jeans. “You won’t need that.” 

You tried to remain calm, tried to remember to breathe, but it was damned difficult with the way his face and Duo Maxwell’s kept merging in your vision. Fuck. You had to stay focused. 

“-Y/N-?”

A gasp tore from your throat at the sound of Trowa’s voice outside and you watched as Chang’s shoulders stiffened. 

Trowa came walking into the tent and stopped dead in his tracks when he caught sight of the Preventer Agent held at gunpoint. “Wufei.” 

“Trowa. Care to explain what this is about?” 

“What are you doing here?” Trowa countered with a question of his own.

“I came to follow up on a lead that led Duo to this place some weeks ago.” 

Trowa’s shoulders squared with tension and he turned his gaze on you. “-Y/N-?”

You wavered when you noticed that your hands were trembling. “I’m not going down without a fight.” 

“There’s no need for that,” Trowa moved around Agent Chang, and cautiously approached you. He reached out his hand. “Give me your gun.” 

“No.” You wildly shook your head and took a step back. “I’m not going with him.” 

“Of course not.” Trowa rested a hand on your shoulder.

His touch felt warm and reassuring and made your gaze snap towards him. His other hand closed around the gun and gently pulled it from your gasp. The tension left the Preventer’s shoulders with the gun no longer trained on him. 

You swallowed thickly, feeling utterly lost. Trowa gave you a little smile that was meant to be reassuring, but it did little to ease the panic swirling wildly in your stomach. “I can’t go…” 

Trowa put the safety on your gun back in place and tucked it into the waistband of his jeans. “You don’t have to. I promise.” 

“You shouldn’t make promises you can’t keep,” Chang snapped behind him. 

“Let’s go back to the trailer so we can talk in private.” Trowa slid his arm around your shoulders and whisked you out of the tent.

You tried to find comfort in the way he kept you close, the heat of his body seeping into your side. It grounded you in a way. Of course, Wufei Chang’s sharp gaze took it all in and by the time you had reached the trailer, you were sure he had noticed how Trowa drew you right in. 

“Coffee?” Trowa inquired casually. 

“No, thanks.” Chang took one of the chairs at the dining table, a strategic place because it forced you to sit on the bench and to move around him if you wanted to escape. He had effectively placed himself between you and the door.

You hung back and waited for Trowa, not trusting yourself or the perceptive agent. You’d stick to Trowa’s side like glue if you’d have to, but you weren’t going to Brussels. No fucking way. 

Trowa put a glass of water down on the table for you and poured himself a mug of coffee, before sitting down at the table. You slid onto the bench as well and sidled closer to him. 

“So you’ve been hiding her,” Chang began, while crossing his arms over his chest. “Une is not going to be happy about that when she finds out.” 

“Last time I checked, you were no tattletale, Wufei.” Trowa’s tone was easy and relaxed. 

Chang huffed and leaned back in his seat. “Heero lost his job because of his actions.” 

“Yeah well, he doesn’t seem to regret that fact, does he?” 

“She put Sally in the hospital.” 

You were getting tired of him talking about you as if you weren’t sitting across from him. You narrowed your eyes and snapped your fingers in front of his face. “ **I** am sitting right here.” 

His eyes narrowed dangerously, and you could see the barely restrained fury in his gaze at your actions. “So what have you to say for yourself?” 

“I have not killed anyone that didn’t deserve it in years.” 

“That so?” 

“Your partner was just collateral damage. It wasn’t personal.” 

“Still…” 

“She is okay, isn’t she?” you asked. 

Chang sighed. “Yes.” 

“Well then.” 

“That doesn’t clear you. You’re still on our wanted list.” 

“No, I’m not. Heero saw to that.” 

Chang looked as if he wanted to grind his teeth in frustration.

“You said you followed Duo’s lead here,” Trowa cut in.

You stiffened in your seat, and that didn’t go unnoticed by both men. 

“Yes.” Chang’s gaze flicked to your face for a moment. “He’s been acting off for weeks.”

“Serves him right,” you muttered under your breath.

“What was that?” Trowa asked you.

You shook your head. “Nothing.” 

Trowa grabbed your arm when you tried to get up. “Sit down and tell us what happened.” 

You glared at him. “You saw the end result of what happened.” 

“I found you unconscious and with your clothing torn to shreds, so you better tell me if that’s what Duo did to you.” 

Your eyes widened at his insistent tone, and you were sure that the panic was visible in your gaze. 

“-Y/N-,” Trowa said with a sigh. “You know you can trust me.” 

You wildly shook your head and tried to wrench away from his grasp. “Let me go.” 

“No.” 

“Let me go. **Now**.” In an instant you had the knife you kept in the sheath at your ankle at his throat. But Trowa didn’t budge and kept his hand shackled around your arm. You leaned in, chin stuck out in defiance, your eyes flashing dangerously. “I’m not some toy you Gundam Pilots can have fun with.” 

Trowa’s eyes glittered dangerously. “Did he assault you?” 

Your nostrils flared. “None of your fucking business.” 

-x-x-x-

Trowa stared at you in disbelief, anger boiling in his stomach. The blade of your knife felt cold and sharp against his skin, but he refused to let you go. If he did that, you’d disappear on him. He was sure of that, just as he was sure that he couldn’t take another normal breath in his life if you did. 

“-Y/N-,” he urged you, fighting to keep his tone gentle. “Will you tell me?” 

Across from him, Wufei cleared his throat, and you were visibly shaken about seeming to forget he was in the trailer. “Duo withdrew into himself all of a sudden, and he refused to talk to me or Heero about what caused this. We went over this his place earlier this afternoon, and he still wouldn’t tell us. It would help if you could tell me what happened.” 

You sneered at Wufei. “Why would I tell **you**?” 

“Maybe, if I have some more understanding of the situation, I can decide whether I need to bring your in or not.” 

Trowa gently squeezed your arm. “I can’t help you if you don’t talk.” 

He watched as you desperately tried to keep the mask in place, but you couldn’t keep the storm of emotions from your eyes. He waited, knowing the decision had to be up to you. 

On a sigh, you lowered the knife away from his throat. You shoulders slumped. “Fine.” 

“So let’s start from the beginning,” Wufei said.

“He showed up some weeks ago… I was in the tent checking costumes, and he was really angry when he found me there.” You shifted in your seat, and Trowa reached out to take the knife from your hands when he saw you curl your fingers around the blade. “He… he tried to goad me, threw insults at my head. Said some nasty shit about you.” 

“What did he say?” Trowa urged.

“That you had to be sleeping with me in exchange for me staying with you, because there was no other way I had both you and Heero wrapped around my finger.” 

Trowa snorted. “Sounds like typical shit Duo would say.” 

Wufei grunted int agreement. 

“We had a little scuffle. At some point I tried to free myself by yanking on his hair.” 

A smirk formed on Wufei’s face, and Trowa saw how you noticed that.   
“He went fucking berserk and slammed my head against the ground. It gets hazy after that and the next thing I know is waking up with you beside me,” you said. 

“How come your shirt was torn?” Trowa felt compelled to ask. 

Duo would never sexually assault a woman, or so Trowa thought. But he had to know. 

“I tried to crawl out from under him, but he grabbed my shirt to keep me in place.” He watched understanding wash over your face. “You… You thought I was sexually assaulted?” 

“Can you blame me? With the way we found you?” he asked, and had to fight to keep his tone mild. “It didn’t help matters any that you refused to talk.” 

Fury blazed in your eyes, sudden and bright. “You consider Maxwell your friend, so of course I wasn’t going to tell you.” 

“And why not?” Trowa demanded, his own anger slipping through. “I thought that you trusted me, but it seems I was wrong.” 

The fury deflated abruptly and you tore your gaze away from his, shifting awkwardly in your seat. “Yeah… well…” 

“What else have you kept from me?” 

“Nothing.” 

“Bullshit,” he snapped, tone sharp as the blade you had pinned to this throat only moments before. 

You visibly flinched, and that was odd for someone like you. All that bravado and the cocky attitude were gone. You looked like a deer caught in the headlights, but Trowa damn well knew not to underestimate you. You were still dangerous and he dared to bet there were still weapons concealed on you. The deer could jump in any direction at any given time. 

“Why didn’t you talk to me?” 

“Because I don’t want to cause you trouble.” Your tone was quiet and flat. 

That wasn’t the first time he had heard those words, or something similar come from you. He narrowed his eyes, suspicion making him ruthless. He was not going to stop questioning you until he knew everything. 

He was all too aware of Wufei watching from the other side of the table, but his friend just observed and didn’t interfere. Wufei understood that this was something between you and Trowa. Wufei would make up his mind when he knew all the facts. 

“Trouble? What trouble?” 

“Oh, maybe assassins showing up in the middle of the night, Preventer coming to sniff my trail? Maybe that kind of trouble?” 

“Do I seem bothered by that?” 

Your nostrils flared. “No, but there are people here that are.” 

“Who?”

You bit your lip and shook your head, prompting him to grab your shoulders and giving you a firm shake. 

“Who?” he repeated.

“Catherine…” you whispered, not meeting his eyes. 

He sat back, abruptly letting go of you. All the pieces of the puzzle fell into place. 

“She said I’d have to leave if I caused you trouble.” 

He barely heard your words over the rushing sound in his ears. You had refused to tell him about the attack because you thought you’d get thrown out of the circus. It was obvious now. And also obvious that you wanted to stay. You had painstakingly kept your mouth shut to ensure you’d have a place of your own. A place to belong to. 

And Catherine…

He rolled his eyes and gave Wufei a droll look. “I’ll be right back.” 

He got up, making you move from your own seat so he could round the table. 

“Where are you going?” you asked, sounding uncertain and uncomfortable at the idea of being left alone with Wufei. 

“I’m going to have a talk with my sister,” he said. “You stay here.” 

“But…” 

But he was already stomping out of the trailer. He rarely lost control of his temper, but he felt rather close to snapping now. 

“Catherine,” he snapped as he barged into her trailer without knocking. “You better explain yourself.” 

“What’s the matter?” she asked, sounding genuinely shocked at his biting tone.

Trowa raked both hands through his hair and glared at her. “Did you insinuate to -Y/N- that you’d throw her out if she caused any trouble?” 

Catherine looked taken aback for a moment. She opened her mouth to speak, but Trowa raged on, not giving her a chance to reply. 

“Do you have any idea what you caused?” 

“Trowa…” 

“She thought she couldn’t tell me about the attack!” 

Catherine’s eyes widened. “The attack? You mean… she remembers and knows who did it?” 

“Sure she does.” 

“Oh…” Catherine’s shoulders slumped.

“How could you be so stupid, telling her that?” 

“I…” Then Catherine’s eyes narrowed, and her tone sharpened. “To protect you.” 

He snorted humorlessly. “I don’t need protecting.” 

“Maybe not,” she snapped. “But I’ve been looking out for you for years and she is dangerous.” 

Trowa ceased his pacing and took a deep breath, willfully relaxing his shoulders. Of course Catherine had done it because she cared for him. She was like a lioness when it came to her family. 

But still…

“She is much like me,” he said. “You could have been nicer to her, you know.” 

Catherine pushed her hair back, and sighed. “Yeah… maybe. I’m sorry.” 

And then he realized that, in his anger, he had walked out of the trailer, leaving you and Wufei alone. 

**Fuck**.

-x-x-x-

Wufei watched the woman at the other end of the table, taking in the rigid way she held herself. She obviously was uncomfortable in his presence, but she made an effort to keep still. To remain calm. 

Wufei was no fool. He had seen the way Trowa interacted with this woman. He had never seen Trowa be so protective of a woman before. And that was worrisome. If he brought the woman in, it would mean that Preventer could no longer rely on Trowa when situations asked for it. It was bad enough that Une had fired Heero. They couldn’t loose Trowa too. 

He sighed and leaned back in his seat. “You said something about an assassin showing up here. Was it Freddy Harris, by any chance?”

Your gaze shifted towards him, sharp and cold. Deadly. “Maybe.” 

“You won’t fool me, so you might as well be honest.”

“He showed up here, yes. I took care of it.” 

“So what do you plan to do with your life from now on?”

“Trowa and I are planning an act.” 

Wufei’s eyebrows rose in question. “So you’re planning on staying here?” 

“Yes…” 

“Well then…” He crossed his arms in front of his chest and gave you a small smirk. “This list with names you provided… that’s all of them?” 

“As far as I know.” 

“Good. Then I’ll take my leave.” 

Amusement spread when he watched your mouth fall open in shock. _Not so cold anymore now,_ he thought. 

“You’re just gonna leave?” 

“Yes. And for the record: I never was here, understood?” 

The tension left your body, your shoulders relaxed. The line of your mouth softened and Wufei suddenly could see what drew Trowa in. What had drawn Heero in. Underneath that cold exterior was a woman who longed for a place to belong. A purpose. And it looked like she had found it in Trowa. 

Who was he to tear that apart?

“Next time you run into my partner, stay clear of her.” 

“Understood.” Your answer was curt. 

“Good.” He got up and gave you a nod, before exiting the trailer.

He ran into Trowa on the way to his car. 

“You’re leaving?” Trowa asked.

Wufei nodded. “Keep her out of trouble.”

Trowa’s eyes reflected gratitude as he clapped Wufei on his shoulder. “I will. Thanks.”

“She seems fond of you.” 

“Yeah…” A small, secretive smile came to play over Trowa’s lips. “It’s mutual.” 

Lovesick idiot. Wufei resisted the urge to tell Trowa he had to do something about it if he wanted to snatch this woman up. But Trowa did things his way, so he’d leave him to it.

“See you around.” 

“Yeah.” 

**\- End chapter 14 -**


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It feels a bit weird to post this after today’s news about the passing of Trowa’s voice actor. But, as this is a Trowa centered story, it kind of feels right as well. 
> 
> I hope you’ll enjoy this final chapter.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don’t own Gundam Wing, its characters, or you.

**Deadly Intent  
Chapter 15**

Duo awkwardly gnawed on his bottom lip as he followed Wufei and Heero onto the circus grounds. He was apprehensive and fought the violent urge to bolt back towards the car. He had promised his friends, and he wasn’t one to back out. That didn’t mean he liked the prospect of facing Trowa. Or you.

The field was a flurry of activity, people milling about, carrying stage props, crates and the likes towards the big tent. The cacophony of voices mixed with the sounds of the animals, and the excited squeals of children on the other end of the field, where the official entrance to the circus grounds was located.

Duo stuck his hands deep into his pocket and tried to relax his shoulders. He caught Wufei looking at him from the corner of his eyes.

“I’m not gonna bail, ‘Fei.” 

“Just checking.” Wufei’s lips pulled up into a little smile. “Don’t worry, okay?” 

“Yeah, yeah…” 

Heero led the way to the back stage area of the tent, were they found Catherine fussing over your outfit. All three of them stopped dead in their tracks at the sight of you. You were almost unrecognizable. 

Your hair was pinned at the back of your head into a neat, but intricate bun, and the stage make-up had been artfully applied, making your eyes stand out underneath heavy lashes. You were already dressed in your outfit, a leotard made from red lace that left little to the imagination, even if it covered your from neck to toe. You wore a long split skirt over it that billowed out over the floor behind you, held in place by a belt at your waist. 

Heero broke out into a rare grin and approached you. “-Y/N-!” 

You expression softened, but you didn’t smile as Heero moved in to hug you. Duo felt awkward hanging back as Wufei greeted you with a wave. And then you turned your attention to him. 

Duo gave a lame attempt at a smile. “Hey.” 

“Hi.” Your voice carried no warmth, but neither did it hold any animosity. 

It had taken Duo some time to come to terms with what had happened. It hadn’t been easy facing his friends after the truth had come out. But neither Wufei or Heero had ditched him, and instead they had forced him to confront his issues. Meeting you face to face before your debut at the circus show was one of his final steps. And as he stood looking at you, he felt none of the violent anger that had taken hold of him last time. It made relief flow through his veins. He wasn’t a monster.

“Where’s Trowa?” Wufei asked.

You pointed over your shoulder towards the space where the technicians were doing some final checks on the lighting. “Over there.” 

Duo watched as you turned back to Catherine. He realized you were obviously uncomfortable in his presence, and maybe a little nervous for the show. He quietly stepped away and went to join Wufei in his search for Trowa. 

-x-x-x-

You breathed a sigh of relief when you saw Duo Maxwell walk away. 

“Relax.” Catherine rested a comforting hand on your shoulder. “He’s not going to hurt you again.”

“I know.” You managed a brief tilt of your lips.

Catherine smiled at you and reached up to adjust one of the pins in your hair. The past few weeks the two of you had grown closer. You even dared to think that you were now friends with her, although you were still learning what friendship meant and how it worked. And because she had started openly supporting you, the rest of the circus crew had accepted you in their circle as well. 

“You look stunning,” she said.

“I just hope I can remember the routine.” The prospects of the crowd in the tent had your nerves skyrocketing. The thought alone still made you feel uncomfortable. 

“You’ll be fine,” she said while gently grasping your arms. “You only have to focus on Trowa.” 

You nodded and willfully relaxed your shoulders. _Focus on Trowa._ That shouldn’t be too hard. 

But when Trowa came to search you out at the start of the show, you found it difficult to focus on him. The sounds of the crowd as the manager stepped into the ring, made your shoulders tense and your heartbeat accelerate. You focused on your breathing, trying to remain calm, but it was hard. You had faced down Markus Holden’s enemies, some even more notorious and dangerous than him, without blinking an eye, but an innocent circus crowd made the hairs on the back of your neck rise. 

_Fuck._

“Hey,” Trowa said behind you, while resting his hands on your shoulders. “Relax. You can do this.” 

You swallowed thickly and nodded. The warmth of his hands seeped through the thin layer of fabric that separated your skin from his. You closed your eyes and put all your focus on that, and the weight of his hands, his scent, the heat that radiated of his body. You gradually relaxed, and allowed a small smile to form on your face. 

But it froze when the ringmaster announced your act. _Fuck. Was it time already?_

Trowa squeezed your shoulders. “Focus on me.” 

“Right…” You drew in a deep breath and rolled your shoulders back as you started on your way to the ring. 

Trowa moved passed you, stripping off his shirt on the way, leaving him in the black slacks that hugged strong thighs and gave you more than one little fantasy of his ass. He gave you a somewhat cheeky look as he moved to the ladder that gave way to the trapezes. The back stage lights played over skin, muscles, and tattoos as he moved, and you had to swallow thickly for a whole other reason. 

The lights in the tent dimmed, and you closed your eyes for a brief moment, before setting foot into the ring and taking your place in the center. It was completely dark in the tent, and you found it much easier to concentrate. You could hear the murmurs in the crowd, feel the anticipation rising, but all you could think of was the look that Trowa had given you over his shoulder.

You exhaled and took your position, and the first notes of the music you had chosen for your act started to play. Lights came into play, circling over the tarp in the ring, until the spotlight came to rest on you. You raised your hand in the air, moving your hips slowly to the beat of the music.

Dancing came natural to you, and in the past few weeks you had discovered you were good at it. It shouldn’t have come as a surprise, given the way you knew how your body moved through and through, but it was exhilarating to realize you weren’t just the skilled killing machine. _Look at me now, Markus._ Such a far cry from the weapon he had turned you into and that made you feel proud. 

You moved easily, using the surface of the ring as you moved around, the bright red skirt flowing and swirling around your legs. The music rose, a unending crescendo, and you brought your hands to your waist to undo the belt, letting the fabric drop to the floor, as the lights turned to play over the tent’s top and illuminated Trowa’s tall form as he perched on the custom build fixture for your act, trapeze in hand. 

His skin seemed to glow as the lights played over it, pale and enchanting, and his beard blazed copper as he angled his head to meet your eyes. The utter confidence in the green depths nearly robbed you of breath. You gave him a barely visible smile, and the next moment he swooped down, and you moved, running in to meet him. 

You jumped up, grasping onto his outstretched hand, and grabbed onto the trapeze with your free hand. You were quick to loop your legs around his waist and grinned at him, as the trapeze was pulled up into the air again. You moved and swung your body over the bar, balancing on top of it as you prepared for the first stunt. 

You heard an audible click as the second trapeze was released from the hook it had been attached to and it came swinging your way, perfectly timed.You felt the tension in the bar beneath you as Trowa used his forward momentum to launch himself through the air, effortlessly grabbing onto the second trapeze. You hooked your legs around the bar and swung back, launching yourself away as your trapeze reached the end of it’s forward momentum on the next swing. You barely noticed the excited sounds of the crowds as Trowa grabbed your hand, plucking you out of the air and pulling you in.

You fell captive to his gaze, the heated look in his eyes as you performed stunt after stunt. You totally forgot about the crowd, about Duo Maxwell being there, about Heero watching. You were only aware of Trowa, and the way the two of you performed your act, perfectly in sync, the way his skin felt underneath your hands as you wrapped yourself around him, and the heat that spread in your veins. You knew your desire for him had to be written on your face, but you couldn’t bring yourself to care. Not with the way those green eyes stared back at you.

The music swelled to it’s final climax, and the trapeze dropped down again, allowing you to launch yourself up and flip through the air, Trowa mirroring your moves as you jumped to the ground, landing neatly on the tarp. The two of you did a synchronic series of jumps and flips together, and the heat in your belly nearly exploded at the sight of muscles moving sleekly under his skin. You circled back at the final notes, launching yourself at him. He effortlessly swung you around, and you slid down around his body like a snake, until you were sitting on the ground by his feet with your head resting against his thigh. 

The crowd erupted in a deafening applause, but the bubble didn’t burst. You only had eyes for Trowa as he helped you up from the ground, a rare grin spreading on his face as he cupped your cheeks and rested his forehead against yours for a moment. You were grinning yourself, but barely realized it. You weren’t aware that you had just performed some physics defying act. All you knew what that your body was thrumming with want, and that only Trowa could satisfy it. 

He grabbed your hand, callused fingers entwining intimately with yours as he pulled you along with him to the backstage area. You didn’t hear the crew as they congratulated you on a successful debut. Faces became a blur as you followed Trowa out of the tent and across the field. You were breathless by the time you reached the trailer, and didn’t realize his chest was heaving with his own effort to breathe until he yanked you in and turned you towards the trailer, using his body to plaster you against the side of it as his mouth descended on yours. 

His kiss was almost desperate, his hands cradling your face almost desperately as he slipped a thigh between your legs. You were forced to tip your head back and panted against his mouth as he practically devoured you. You tore your mouth away from his and turned your face into his hand, grabbing hold of it so you could let your lips trail over the symbols inked onto his fingers. It gave you a brief respite for you to catch your breath, but the attempt was lost when your gaze locked onto his. The desire in his eyes was unmistakable and raw, and it send your mind spinning. 

You pulled him down for another kiss, rising up on your toes to press your body into his. You heard him yank open the door, and the next moment he grabbed your hips and lifted you up, moving the both of you inside. You didn’t surface until you found yourself on his bed, pinned to the mattress by his weight. The intensity was a little mind blowing. Heero had been the first to show you gentleness and pleasure, but the way Trowa was kissing you was different. 

It was the way he looked at you between kisses, the way he kept touching your hair and face, and couldn’t seem to bring himself to pull away from you enough to undress you properly. Pins scattered on the floor as he freed your hair from the bun, burying his hands in it and using his hold on it to angle your head. 

You slid your hands over warm skin, over broad shoulders and that beautiful back, marveling at the way he made you feel. You had never felt so alive. And when he found the zipper at your back and peeled away the leotard from your body, for the first time in your life, you felt utterly beautiful. Your breath clogged in your throat as he pressed his face against the scarred skin of your belly, and gently kissed each and every line. 

You buried your hands in his hair and threw back your head, and mindlessly surrendered yourself to him.

-x-x-x-

Your hair smelled of honey and wildflowers. Trowa found himself burying his nose in it once again, breathing in deeply until his head swam with that sweet scent. You were dozing against his shoulder, one sticky thigh thrown over his hip, your breath caressing over his skin. 

It was getting close to midnight, but the circus grounds were still filled with the sounds of the crew moving about, laughing and celebrating the success of the show. 

He didn’t mind missing out on any of it. 

He tightened his grip on your and pressed his lips against your forehead. “-Y/N-.” 

“Hmm…” You snuggled deeper into his embrace and sighed contently. 

He felt his lips twitching and rubbed his hand over your back in a gentle caress. Gone was the danger and the bravado. All that was left was a woman utterly content to be where she was. It was you in our purest form, and he almost felt privileged to bear witness to it. He had stripped away all the layers, all the barriers, and he found himself happy with what he had discovered. This was something he wanted for the rest of his life. 

He’d known it before, but the moment you had looked up at him back in the ring, he’d realized that there was no going back. 

You were his now. 

He twined a lock of your hair around his fingers and found himself sighing contently as well. Your fingers slid over his chest, nimble and teasing, and it kindled the warm feeling in his belly. 

“You keep that up and you won’t be going to sleep anytime soon,” he murmured in your hair. 

He felt you smile against his chest. “That so?” 

“Hmm…” 

You lifted your head from his chest to look at him, eyes still heavy lidded and sparkling with warmth and wonder. Your hair tumbled wildly around your face, tangled from his hands running through it as he had made love to you. Looking at you made his throat ache and his breath clog in his lungs. You shifted, pressing the length of your scarred body up against his, and took his mouth in a gentle and affectionate kiss. 

“Do you think they noticed we disappeared?” you asked.

He grinned. “I’m sure they have. Do you mind?” 

You snorted. “No.” 

“Good.” He tugged you close for another kiss. “You’re mine now and they’ll know it.” 

He noticed how you bit down on your bottom lip. For a moment, you almost looked shy. “You… you don’t mind…?” 

He didn’t have to guess to know that you were referring to the state of your body. “Did I seem to mind just now?” 

Color spread on your face and you ducked your head. “No.” 

“Indeed.” To emphasize his point, he let his fingers trail over one of the lines that marked your breast. “I think you’re beautiful.” 

He saw how much those words touched you. He pulled you in and wrapped you up in his arms, pressing an affectionate kiss against the top of your head. He’d gladly tell you every day if that was what it took for you to believe him. 

“You did great in the ring,” he told you. 

“Hmm…” You snuggled in again and pressed your face against his throat. “It wasn’t so hard… forgetting about the crowd I mean.” 

“Good.” He’d been a little worried about the possibility of it triggering you. 

“You were right. I just needed to focus on you.” You shifted and slid your leg over his hips until you were straddling him. You took his hand and raised it to your face so you could press kisses against his fingers. “I never felt so alive before.”

Heat shot through his veins at the look in your eyes. They blazed at him in the moonlight, desire and affection apparent in their depts. The danger was still there, but now it just gave him an exciting thrill. He had seen the look on your face and the tears in your eyes when he had made you come apart, and knew the danger was a mask he could make you take off. He could strip you off all those barriers and you’d let him because you trusted him.

And that trust was the greatest gift of all. 

-x-x-x-

Heero collapsed face forward on his bed, the buzz of the alcohol making his mind spin. He grinned to himself as he buried his face in his pillow. 

It had taken a while for Duo to loosen up, but after a drink or two he had been back to his old self, jesting and joking until Wufei had told him to shut it in that sly tone that actually gave away he didn’t mind that much. It had been nice to hang out with the both of them again, and Heero felt accepted again. 

He no longer was the ‘traitor’. 

Une still wasn’t happy with him, but he could live with that. He still stood with his decision and it had been worth it. Seeing you perform your act in the circus with such confidence had been worth all of the hardship. You and Trowa had disappeared after the show, and it hadn’t been hard to put two and two together. 

He was happy for you. 

His phone buzzed on his nightstand, and he lifted his head from the pillow as he grabbed it to check the incoming text message. It was from Duo. 

_Thanks Buddy._

Two simple words, but they held a much deeper meaning. Duo was grateful for the fact that both Wufei and Heero had pulled him out of his misery. Heero hadn’t been able to bring himself to be angry at his friend when he had heard what had happened. Not with the way Duo had been so obviously shaken up by it. And Duo had been brave in facing you. That took courage. 

_Any time,_ he texted back. 

It didn’t take long for a second message to arrive. _So… when are you going to ask the princess out on a date?_

Heero rolled his eyes. And they were back to that. Duo just loved to tease him about Relena. Well… _Idiot. Don’t make me kill you._

_Ha! You never go through with that._

_Don’t be too sure about that._ He put his phone back on his nightstand and rolled onto his back. Then on an impulse, he grabbed it again and was typing and sending the message before he could change his mind. _Hey. Want to go out for dinner tomorrow?_

Relena’s reply was instantaneous and didn’t beat around the bush.They both knew it was time they stopped dancing around the issue. _Sure. Is it a date?_

 _A date,_ he confirmed. 

He put his phone back and collapsed back on his bed. His last thought before sleep claimed him, was that he was never going to thank Duo just to spite him. Or maybe he would. Some day…

**\- End -**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading this story! Please leave a comment with your thoughts on it! I’d love to hear from you! :)


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